Dating for Dense Dragons
by Hikari1127
Summary: Natsu definitely likes Lucy, whether he knows it or not. A series of drabbles and one-shots ranging from fluff to angst about Natsu and Lucy's obviously-not-platonic relationship. Twenty-five: first date - Because it was a milestone in the relationship and he wanted everything to be perfect.
1. glasses

**notes:** Hi there! First off, I'd like to thank you for clicking my story.  
**notes2: **I absolutely adore Natsu and Lucy.  
**notes3:** Enjoy the fluff.  
**notes4: **(1/25)**  
disclaimer:** I could only wish Fairy Tail belonged to me.  
**summary:** Because Natsu just looks too damn cute wearing Lucy's glasses.

* * *

"Lucy, you wear glasses?"

Her skin almost jumped at the sudden voice, startling her from her writing. She frowned at the crooked line her pen did on the paper, ruining the pristine perfectness of the page.

"Natsu!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here? And I told you to use—"

"Did she wear glasses before?" Her complaint fell on deaf ears, as Natsu's attention was fully focused on asking the Exceed beside him.

"Aye!" Happy said in his usual chipper voice, "During that time in the fat duke's mansion, the one that goes 'Boyoyo!'"

"Whoa! The mansion goes 'Boyoyo!'?" She resisted the urge to smack her head. Typical Natsu.

Wait. "Hey, don't ignore me!"

The fire mage turned to peer at her more closely, face scrunched in concentration and scrutiny. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. The heat she was feeling could either be just from Natsu's natural warmth or. . . no, she wasn't blushing!

"You look different with glasses."

"Eh?" Unconsciously, she adjusted her blue-rimmed spectacles, positioning them higher up on her nose. Then, an idea struck her. She took the glasses off and placed them on Natsu, magnifying his eyes. "Well, you look different with glasses, too."

Big, black eyes blinked at her, and Lucy didn't think Natsu could've been any cuter. Before she could fully rationalize her actions, she placed a light kiss on his lips.

"W—"

Her hands went up to cover her mouth almost immediately. She just kissed Natsu. _She kissed Natsu._

He looked just as shocked as she was, lips parted slightly and big eyes blinking repeatedly. The thought briefly passed that she might've liked his current expression as much as his signature, childish grin.

"W-was that you, Lucy?"

She almost fell down her chair. "Of course it was me, you idiot!" she yelled, shrill voice screaming right into Natsu's ear, "Who else would it be? Happy?"

Somewhere in Lucy's kitchen, a rummaging Happy sneezed.

"Ew, hell no!" Natsu exclaimed (after having to wince from the terrible combination of her loud voice and his sharper-than-normal hearing senses), "But how could I know?" He glared at her through the glasses, the lenses still enlarging his eyes. She couldn't help but chuckle at his childlike pout. "I can't see with this damn thing on my face!"

Natsu's face turned to surprise when he felt lips press against his again.

* * *

**notes:** Glasses may or may not screw up your vision when you have a sharper-than-normal sense of sight.  
**notes2:** Don't forget to review :)


	2. singing

**notes:** I love you guys so much.  
**notes2:** Did that sound creepy?  
**notes3:** Thank you for reading my drabble series.  
**notes4:** Extra thanks to those who put this on their favorites/alerts and to those who reviewed (QueenP19, GoldenRoseTanya, FireDragonPrincess and xBluieLovex, I'm looking at you guys)!  
**notes5:** I was so happy I posted earlier than intended.  
**notes6:** Too much notes.  
**notes7:** (2/25)  
**disclaimer:** If I owned Fairy Tail, NaLu would've been canon a loooong time ago.  
**summary:** Because Lucy has a nice singing voice and she's letting only her shampoo bottles hear it.

* * *

"Lucy, do you know you sing in the shower?"

The mattress creaked as he leaned back, both arms supporting his body. He also took the liberty to prop up his feet and cross them on the previously made bed.

A shriek answered him, coming from a Lucy with only a towel keeping her covered. "Natsu!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?" She seemed mortified being seen by Natsu wearing nothing but a towel that ended mid-thigh. The pink-haired boy wasn't fazed with this. It wasn't the first time, and besides, she wasn't naked like that Gray. There was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"I always go to your apartment," he said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, "It's not like I haven't done this a hundred times."

Lucy stomped over to her closet, picking a shirt and stuffing every article of clothing she didn't choose to wear that day. Sometimes he thought she resembled a dragon whenever she was angry. "I told you to knock! There was a _door_ for a rea—"

"You have a nice voice."

The blond's rant was cut short. An unmistakable pink blush was spreading on her cheeks at the compliment. "You think so?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically small.

His head nodded. "Why don't you sing in the guild sometimes? I'm sure Mira and the others would like it." He scrunched his face. "At least it's not only that metalhead singing all the time."

"No, no, no, no." She was shaking her head repeatedly, hands held up. "There is _no_ way I'm singing in front of the whole guild."

His lower lip naturally went to a pout, eyes narrowed in mild irritation at his best friend's utter refusal. "Why not?" he said, "Your voice isn't bad at all."

She avoided his eyes as she bit her lip. Natsu found the expression cute, in a Lucy-weird way. "I-it's not that, Natsu," she said after silence settled between them for a brief moment, "You know what, forget about that. It's nothing." He knew it wasn't nothing, but also knew she didn't want him to push the topic, so he stayed silent about it, changing the topic. Mavis only knows what kind of plan he was concocting in his mind.

After a few days, Natsu insisted they both come to the guild at once. The fire mage seemed so excited that she couldn't help but comply. He almost dragged her on the way. When Natsu pushed the guild's wooden doors open, everyone started clapping. He gave the celestial mage his signature toothy grin, the blond looking more and more puzzled by the minute. Mirajane started playing something and everything seemed to make sense. Lucy's voice sounded through the whole of the guild, complete with the steady drizzle of water. The girl in question slowly turned her head towards him with an accusing stare. He recorded her singing while she was taking a bath. "You idiot," she said, but when Natsu thought he was surely in trouble and getting ready to run, she flashed him a soft smile, something that made him feel warmer than any other fire could. "Thank you."

Natsu counted himself lucky she didn't dwell over the fact that he'd practically sneaked into her bathroom while she was taking a bath, a recorder in hand. Then again, even if she smacked him in the head after, the happiness on her face was worth it.

* * *

**notes:** Anyone else sing in the shower?  
**notes2:** Review, because I feed on reviews.  
**notes3:** No, I don't, but reviews feed my side of the brain that motivates me to write.  
**notes4:** Reviews also make the next drabble come faster.


	3. mantra

**notes:** A wild AU appears!  
**notes2:** Well, AU-ish.  
**notes3:** Again, thank you for reading! You are awesome.  
**notes4:** To those who put this story on their Favorites and Alerts, and those who reviewed (xBluieLovex, Fan, Suilen, GoldenRoseTanya, toshiroxrangiku, Joker07, and Cupcake-Lover-1374), I love you guys!  
**notes5:** Now, prepare to see a different side of my writing *evil smile*.  
**notes6:** (3/25)  
**disclaimer:** Let me change my name to _Hiro Mashima_, then I can claim owning Fairy Tail.  
**summary:** Because in the dark, underground prison cell, Natsu repeated Lucy's name like a mantra.

* * *

The underground prison always had an eerie atmosphere to it. The cells were frighteningly quiet, save for the chilling moans of some of the prisoners. Guards kept a close watch on all sides, making escape almost bleakly impossible for the captured mages, drained of their own respective magic.

The warden, only a week on the job, went on her usual routine, black boots clicking on the cold, steel floor. She found her assigned prisoner where she always saw him. He stayed in a fetal position in the darkest corner of the dank cell, where his shadow merged with different others, forming a big mass of blackness on the stone walls and floor. His back was all that was facing her, hunched and desolate, but she could still see the pink hair, turning a shade of fuchsia under the dim lighting.

"Lucy. . . Lucy. . ."

He muttered like a chant. The name was repeated like a mantra, the only spell to keep his sanity intact. His eyes were bloodshot, she knew, but her brown eyes only regarded him with indifference.

"He's been like that ever since he was brought here," one of the guards told her gruffly, "What do you want to do with him?"

Her eyes continued to follow the tiny movements of the boy, the twitch of his fingers, the slightest rock of his body, and said, "Let him be."

The warden sauntered away, leaving the boy to his mutters and chants.

* * *

"Eat up."

A tray of bread and water was roughly shoved through the open part of the cell's bars, almost toppling over and spilling the contents. He didn't move to eat, defiantly hugging his knees and staring blankly at the wall ahead. To busy himself, he started counting all the cracks.

One. Lucy. Two. Lucy. Three. Lu—

"How did you end up here?"

A growl emitted from his mouth. "Why should I tell you?"

He heard his warden's soft sigh. "Because we have the time."

He snorted. "That's not a good enough reason."

The bars made a clanging sound, meaning his warden leaned her back on it. "Because I could help you with the girl you know." This piqued his interest. "Lucy, was it?"

He abruptly turned to the hooded warden. "Tell me where Lucy is!" His fangs were bared, eyes alive with burning resentment.

The female warden didn't seem fazed at his outburst (he briefly thought that if it was any other warden, he would've been brought to what they called the 'Punishment Room', where he'll get whipped and beaten and brought back to his confinement bloody) and calmly answered him. "I'll tell you what I know if you tell me the story of your unlucky capturing first." He could almost hear the smirk on her voice.

Even with wanting to stay rebellious against the bait of his warden, he still couldn't help but give in moments after. He conceded with a resigned sigh and settled to sit down cross-legged on the hard floor, expression turning grimmer.

"It all started when. . ."

* * *

"So, Salamander, is it yes or no?"

The dark, malicious figure held Lucy in a tight lock, one arm around her neck with the other holding her hands behind her back. What scared him was that he was calling her and she _wasn't answering_.

"Better answer fast, or this girl gets it." As if on cue, Lucy's scream pierced through the air, high-pitched and pained.

All control he had of his emotions snapped. "Lucy!" He was pulling his arms from the vice-like grip of the dark figure's men, trying and failing to break free and run to Lucy to ease her pain. "Lucy!"

When her screams became more pained, tears leaking out from the corners of her eyes, he gave in, defeated. There was nothing he could do and he hated himself for it. He felt helpless.

"I'll come with you," he said, "Just release Lucy."

As the dark mage gave a brief nod, the two muscular goons holding each of his arms started to carry him through a dark hallway. Despite not knowing what would happen to him, relief coursed through his system. At least Lucy was—

"Take her to one of the cells," his ears picked up, eyes widening, "She still has some use."

"You bastard!" he shouted, turning his head towards the evil mage and glaring with every ounce of hatred he felt. Magic power ran wild inside him, fueled with emotions. He could feel the fire steadily growing on his hands. His captors were struck down by his fists in a flash and he was running mindlessly towards the dark figure, hands bare but with fire burning in them.

"Lucy!"

She tried to run towards him, but the dark mage had already casted his magic on her, making her drop to her knees and grip her head like the pain was coming from it. Her scream tore him inside out, but it only strengthened his desire to _pummel that bastard to the ground_.

The fire was already at his fingertips. Only a little more.

He was just about to attack when he felt intense pain spreading through his body, then everything was black.

* * *

His black eyes snapped open, finding himself staring at the same dark ceiling he woke up to everyday. He forced himself to sit up, breathing uneven and ragged. Cold sweat coated his heated body. He had that dream again.

"Lucy. . . Lucy. . ."

He fell into the mantra once more, as if he could only ease the sadness by saying her name. It calmed him, even for only a bit.

The warden's steps echoed through the hallway outside, signaling him of her coming. "Here's your meal," she said, his daily rationed meal still on the same scratched, metal tray and still composing of the exact same food, bread and water.

He didn't even seem to acknowledge her, empty gaze directed at the opposite wall. His lips moved to continue the mantra.

"Look, I've never seen this Lucy around here since I came," the warden said, impatience at his stubbornness creeping to her usually calm tone, "Who knows? She might be in another level or in the 'Punishment Room getting whipped." His blood ran cold at the thought of her brown eyes filled with fear and pain. "Or killed."

Upon hearing the damned word, he swiftly picked himself up from the floor and stalked to the warden, eyes set in a dark glare. "No," he said in a hard voice, "Lucy's not dead."

He stared at her face-to-face, seeing as much as the hood would provide him with, and mustered as much certainty as he could. "She's not dead." An image of her brown eyes, blank and dull and _anything but the bright eyes he loved_, flashed in his mind, snapping what's left of his self-control. He gripped his warden's wrist, hearing her yelp but paying no mind to it, blinded by his rage. "She can't die! Lucy can't die because I have to protect her!"

He felt a prick on his shoulder, right where his Fairy Tail mark should've been. Someone injected a tranquilizer onto him.

As his sight blurred, he swore he saw scars on his warden's bare arm, and heard her whisper his name. Before consciousness completely consumed him, he managed to softly say four words.

". . . Because. . . I love her. . ."

* * *

His warden never spoke a word to him after the incident, and only came by to bring him the meals.

But everyday, in all its silence, he always found a pleasant surprise from his warden on the tray.

Beneath the plate of bread was a small, flickering flame.

* * *

In one of the times he took refuge in chanting his mantra of her name, his sharp ears (no matter how long he's been there, his senses never wavered or weakened) picked up a distinct sound that sent his body into a frenzy. It was a jingle of keys.

_Lucy's keys._

His feet scrambled for the front of the cell, hands gripping the bars white. "Lucy!" he screamed, "Lucy!"

A hooded figure appeared at the corner of his eye, and it took him a moment to recognize it as his warden, running with haste and fast speed. He tried to stop her by grabbing _anything_ of her. "Hey! I know Lucy's—" His fingers grasped cloth, but it wasn't enough to halt the rushing warden.

The hood fell down.

She had blond hair.

Hand suspended on the air, he could only look in shock as his warden shrank the farther she ran.

* * *

His back was arched forward in a slouch, half-lidded eyes gazing at the gray wall blankly. With months in the prison cell, he knew he was going crazy, especially with no Lucy.

_Lucy. Lucy. Lucy._

"No Lucy?" he muttered to himself, "That's impossible." A laugh came from him, wry and mirthless.

"Have you heard the news about Lucy Heartfilia?"

That immediately caught his full, undivided attention. He would've raced towards the bars if he had energy left.

"It said they saw her, escaping the prison."

A smile appeared on his face. She was alive. Lucy was alive.

"Yeah, I was the one who found her."

The smile widened into an ecstatic grin. That was the voice of his warden. Maybe she could—

"And I was the one who killed her."

The grin faltered with the widening of his eyes. That wasn't possible. Lucy's not dead. Lucy can't die. He has to protect her. He still had to say he loved—

"She screamed, and begged—" He could feel his temperature rising.

"—and cried for _Natsu_, but no one came—" Tears of guilt and regret streamed down his cheeks, eyes burning wild with emotion.

"—and I pierced right through her heart." His fists clenched white in anger, sharp fangs bared, the menacing aura around him growing with his hatred.

"You should've seen how empty her eyes were, how the life faded from them."

He let out an anguished scream, and he couldn't see straight anymore.

* * *

Everything was engulfed in flames.

The captured mages were running in all directions, a big hoard looking for an escape from the prison. The guards were trying to herd each and every one, but could only single out a few, and even then, a group of prisoners came back and fought to free them. There was chaos everywhere.

He stood there, among the ashes, face stern with feelings of rage. Dark eyes searched the mass of white clothes and guards' maroon uniforms to find the black hood. It wasn't long before it stood out, his warden running with the crowd but not _for_ them. For a moment, he wondered why she wasn't rounding up the escapees like the other frantic guards, but all thought process disappeared when it came back to him that _she killed Lucy_.

Hands bursting with fire, he poured all his anger into one attack, hurling a big ball of concentrated energy, in the form of fire, towards the running warden.

At the last moment, she looked back at him, and suddenly, his body lost all feeling. His blood ran cold as he stared, mortified, when his ball of fire hit her.

Only one thought ran in his mind as he rushed to her side.

_Lucy!_

* * *

She smiled at him when he reached her, so painfully small and weak but still _so like Lucy_ that he almost cried. Her black hood had been burned to a crisp, nothing but ashes on the rock-littered prison floor. The scars that ran down her arms were revealed to him, prominent marks of her pain from being whipped. But the most agonizing to look at, the most guilt-wracking to see, were the burn marks on her skin, caused by no one but _him_.

Without a moment's hesitation, he held her delicately in his arms, careful not to hurt her any more than he already had. A wince contorted her face when his thumb brushed against a tender part of her skin, and he hastily whispered an apology.

"Lucy—"

"I'm so glad, Natsu," she said, voice hoarse, "You're finally free."

He choked on his words. "L-Luce, I'm so sorry." He realized that any apology could never suffice to what he did. He caused Lucy pain. "I will never be able to forgive myself for this."

She shook her head, the little movement bringing a wave of pain to her body, which she tried her best to conceal from him. "It wasn't your fault, Natsu." Her hand reached up to cup his cheek, and he reveled in the feel of her skin against his, holding her hand, seeking comfort. "After all, I'm the warden who killed the Lucy you loved."

Her hand was starting to fall back to the ground, and he grasped it, pressing it to his cheek, feeling the rapid disappearance of warmth from it. He could feel something wet falling from his eyes and knew he was crying.

"Lucy. . . Lucy. . ."

As if out of habit, he started the mantra, whispering her name over and over again. But unlike the other times, when 'Lucy' returned to normal, rid of bloodstains and unscathed, the dying Lucy in his arms didn't heal, nor did her slow, shallow breathing return to normal pace. The life was still draining out of her.

His lips stopped chanting. The mantra wasn't working. It dawned on him that it _never_ worked. It was something his mind made up to make the misery of living without Lucy more bearable. But living without Lucy, the paling girl resting her head on his chest, could never be bearable. Lucy wasn't someone he could ever live without. And he knew he could still save her.

Securing her in the safety of his arms, he stood up, resolve making his eyes brighter than the flames burning everything to the ground. He still hasn't directly told her he loved her, and he wasn't going to let her die before he even said those three simple words.

_She can't die because she protected me, and I still have to protect her._

With every energy in his body, he raced towards Fairy Tail. His lips repeated the mantra automatically, but it wasn't meant to replace something that was missing, or to fill the void that would be left if Lucy died. Instead, it motivated him, her name giving him strength to save what he was on the verge of losing.

_Because she loves me and I love her._

* * *

**notes:** I feel like I could write angst better than fluffy stuff.  
**notes2:** I feel like it's bad.  
**notes3:** Because I'm a happy person.  
**notes4:** Reviews make me a happy person, too.  
**notes5:** And a faster writer.


	4. roleplay

**notes:** I should really do my work.  
**notes2:** Nah, Grade 10 work is no biggie.  
**notes3:** For the fourth time (I should know, it's the fourth drabble), I would like to thank you for reading my story.  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this story on their Favorites and Alerts List, and to those who reviewed (Cupcake-Lover-1374, xBluieLovex, Suilen, GoldenRoseTanya, xXxAddicted2ChocolatexXx, Puma, Ookami Ice, Silly, and Adellecia Evans)! Have I told you how much I love you guys?  
**notes5:** Since I could only give you so much angst (or you might just die on the inside because I'm a sucker for writing angst and I don't _ever_ guarantee happy endings), here's a fluffy chapter :)  
**notes6:** This is actually the only one-shot I've written so far where it's clear that Natsu and Lucy are in a relationship.  
**notes7:** (4/25)  
**disclaimer:** I can't draw as good as Mashima-san, so if Fairy Tail, by any chance, belonged to me, it would look like crap.  
**summary:** Because, as they say, you can only know how the other feels if you're in their shoes.

* * *

It was the week of Fairy Tail's annual play. Every member of the guild put a lot of effort into creating the play, working together harmoniously (because if they didn't, they'll have a personal meeting with Erza and her swords, and was it mentioned how sharp they were?). The sets were built by the Make mages, under the leadership of Gray and Reedus. The girls handled the costumes, the advertisements and promotions. Others who couldn't contribute to either would man ticket booths during the day of the event. The play's screenplay was under the direction of Mirajane, with the assistance of Erza in _putting things in order_. It was a very well-organized play and everything was perfect.

Except for the fact that the two main characters were not talking to each other, much less acknowledging each other's presence. Lucy—donned in Natsu's too-big long-sleeve-no-sleeve attire, nose burrowed under the white scarf—had her arms crossed in front of her chest, indignantly looking away while Natsu—wearing Lucy's signature sleeveless white-and-striped-blue top, and, much to his annoyance, the matching blue skirt and knee-high boots (Gray, as expected, teased him about it, and Natsu damn well made sure to get back at him by destroying the set he made and telling Erza that the ice mage would _love_ to wear a costume like his, assuring Gray's future humiliation)—grumbled and directed a glare on the other side. There was a tense atmosphere between them.

"Natsu, Lucy, you two have to make up and act each other out. _Now_."

Natsu glared at the speaker. "Why would I—"

"What was that, Natsu?"

And he was met fiercely with Erza's dominantly more frightening glare. Realizing his mistake, he gulped and shakily said, "A-aye, Erza!" For the first time that day, he glanced at Lucy, a plotting smirk at his face. "Only if Lucy does it, too."

Beside him, Lucy sputtered, then narrowed her eyes at him, a look that could rival even Erza's piercing stare. If his mind wasn't set on defying her, a chill would've been sent down his spine. Then again, she wouldn't give him that look if he wasn't so defiant.

Mirajane clapped her hands excitedly at what could be considered their first interaction that day. "Alright, let's start the scene!"

With no other choice, Natsu and Lucy walked closer towards each other, irritation still etched on their faces. Lucy's eyes went to the script, and briefly before she spoke, a curled smirk passed her lips.

"Oh, I'm Natsu," she said in her best impression of Natsu's voice, "and I'm _impulsive and an idiot who doesn't think before I do anything_."

Natsu, still thinking Lucy was saying lines from the script, went on with what he was supposed to say. "Of course I am, Nat—What?! No, I'm not!"

"Yes, _I am_," she shot back.

"Fine," Natsu said, "Then I'm Lucy and I locked the window to my apartment so _you_ had to sleep at your own house!"

"Well, if I just swallowed my pride and used the _door_ to apologize to you, then maybe you wouldn't be mad at me anymore and we could be cuddling on your couch!"

Natsu was slightly taken aback at that (because, really, she had a point, and he _really_ wanted to cuddle her if they weren't mad at each other), oblivious to the stares of a red-faced Erza and a Mirajane wearing a smile that said she knew _everything_ they did. He managed to keep his bearings and retort hotly. "Why should _you_ apologize to me? What did you do wrong?"

"_I_ did something stupid in the job we just did!"

"And what was that?!"

"Oh, nothing, I just _destroyed the whole town so we had to repay with the reduced pay we received_."

"I think _I_ should understand that you can't stop yourself from destroying a damn town!"

Lucy scoffed. "_I_ was also the reason our pay was reduced."

Natsu's eyes widened, then proceeded to hide the movement by looking anywhere but Lucy. "It wasn't that bad," he said in a voice meeker than his other responses.

She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Oh yeah?" she asked, rhetoric and irritated, "_I_ punched our client in the face and broke some of his ribs!"

"I was only protecting what's mine!" he shouted, and upon seeing the widening of the three girls' eyes, averted his gaze to the side and pouted, arms crossed in front of his chest.

A moment of silence passed when none of them spoke. "Natsu," Lucy's tone was softer now, and he knew she wasn't angry at him anymore. He let himself relax. "Were you jealous?"

"I didn't like how he was looking at you." He scrunched his face. "Then I started getting angry inside, and when he gave you that 'goodbye hug' and 'accidentally' went lower, I couldn't control myself anymore."

Surprise flitted in his face when Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist. He quickly returned the embrace. "Natsu, that was reckless and impulsive," she started, making him think that she was still mad at him (then again, he told himself, she won't be hugging him if she still was), "But it was cute and sweet. I'm sorry for getting mad at you." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, too, for not getting you your rent this month," he said, embrace tightening, "But let's not fight anymore, please? I miss sleeping on your bed and _maybe I also miss cuddling on the couch_."

"How about we do that now?" Lucy smiled, much too innocent to be genuinely innocent. Together, they walked out the guild and made their way towards Lucy's house.

Below the stage stood the only spectators and witnesses to what happened between Natsu and Lucy. Erza's face remained as red as her scarlet hair, and Mirajane wailed. "No! I wasn't able to record it!"

The requip mage, managing to regain her composure moments after, turned to the barmaid with a serious, no-nonsense expression. "That's not our biggest problem right now."

Looking at the empty stage in horror, Mirajane wailed once more. "We haven't practiced the play!"

* * *

**notes:** I don't think Natsu and Lucy need practice for the play. They already know each other soooo well.  
**notes2:** What do you think? Drop a review :)  
**notes3:** Just keep in mind that reviews are happy storks that bring the next chapter in a shining baby cloth.


	5. storm

**notes:** I've done a huge portion of my school work, and I'm here to procrastinate.  
**notes2:** Which is _not_ good at all.  
**notes3:** This one-shot is the shortest I've written, I know.  
**notes4:** Is it possible to run out of 'thank you's? Because I sure as hell haven't. I'm about to give one right now. Thank you for reading my story!  
**notes5:** (Oh look, another thank you note) Thank you to the people (or aliens, that's cool, too) who put this story on their Favorites and Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (Cupcake-Lover-1374, GoldenRoseTanya, km28ave, xBluieLovex, kuromaychan, and KawaiiOdango)!  
**notes6:** (5/25) 1/5 of the way, neh?  
**disclaimer:** Until my non-existent Body-Switching Machine is done, no, I don't own Fairy Tail.  
**summary:** Because he had always kept her safe from storms outside windows.

* * *

The sky was overcast, dark black clouds swirling with the strong wind. The heavy rain poured down on the field outside and on the train's metal ceiling, leaving rivulets of water trailing down their foggy window. A part of the sky lit up frighteningly, and a flash of lightning struck on the field, the thunder clapping loudly.

She hated weather like this. There were rainy seasons in Magnolia, but it rarely stormed, and not one this strong and close to her. Storms reminded her of bad memories, of all disasters and devastations happening during such a weather. Another rumble of thunder startled her out of her thoughts. Whether she admitted it or not, she was terrified of the ominous, fearful storm.

"Are you scared, Luce?"

The boy resting his head on her shoulder groggily asked. His eyes were closed, extreme weakness for transportation prompting his nausea.

Even if she knew he wouldn't see the gesture, she shook her head, feigning anxious-free behavior. "N-no! It's f-fine, go back to sleep, Natsu." Her hand reached out to put him back to sleep when he caught it, deep eyes now intently looking at her.

"I can feel you shaking."

She stayed quiet, choosing to avert her eyes away from his gaze. He knew her so well, and it wasn't even fair that the thorough knowledge was being used against her.

That's when he sat up and put his arm around her, all traces of nausea gone from his face. Surprise wasn't even enough to describe what she was feeling. _Natsu_ was putting his arm around her like he normally did, _on a moving train_. She couldn't help but lean her head on his shoulder, reveling in this once-in-a-lifetime moment. "You know, Luce, you don't have to act tough when you're with me." He gave her the sweet smile she liked, and she felt the fear start to dissipate.

"I know you're strong, but it's okay to have fears." His embrace on her unconsciously tightened. "I have fears, too. But, just remember that. . ."

The effects of motion sickness started to creep back to him, his once coherent words turning into sluggish mumbles, but still holding their meaning.

". . . I'm here. . ."

His head fell back on her lap, eyes fluttering close. But even in his state, with the tendrils of sleep and feeling of sickness pulling at him, he circled his arms around her waist tightly, burrowing his face on her stomach.

". . . I'll. . . protect you. . ."

A tender smile appeared on her face, affectionately looking down at the slumbering dragonslayer laying his head on her lap. Her fingers started stroking his hair, his soft snores the only sounds in the compartment. The storm outside was long forgotten.

* * *

_"I'm. . . gonna get. . . that Laxus," he muttered, "After I. . . get off this train." His cheeks puffed up._

_"Don't puke on me, you idiot!"_

* * *

**notes:** Because it's just so like Natsu to blame Laxus for storms.  
**notes2:** And Laxus is gonna get a beating for something he didn't even know, much less do. (Then again, would he _really_ get a beating or is it the other way around?)  
**notes3:** Reviews serve as my magic power.  
**notes4:** They bring the next chapter at lightning speed.


	6. date

**notes:** I'm catching up to work. Good.  
**notes2:** I figured out why I wasn't running out of thanks last time. Because it was near Thanksgiving. That would make sense.  
**notes3:** Still, Thanksgiving has come and gone and yet I'm still not running out of thanks. Thank you for reading my story, to those who put this on their Favorites and Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (LuckyLifeSmile, ClumsyMustache, GoldenRoseTanya, Suilen, CupCakesYummeh, xBluieLovex, Yuni-sama, km28ave, bluefire321, xXxAddicted2ChocolatexXx, greetingsfrommaars, and Captain Ea Rayos)!  
**notes4:** And since all of you have been great readers so far, I'm going to explain something trololol. No, okay, when I write angst, I like mystery, so it becomes _completely confusing_. For greetingsfrommaars (and those who did or didn't understand #3, you could read, too), I'm going to explain the rough outline of #3 (just because I like explaining). Here goes:

Let's just say the dark figure has had his eyes on Natsu, and he used Lucy to get to him (Imagine they were on a mission by themselves: no Happy, no Erza, no Gray, no nothing). Of course, Natsu agrees to come with him (if Lucy gets released), but since the dark figure is, in fact, _evil_, he still takes Lucy to the same prison Natsu is brought to. I'll leave it at that because I might do Lucy's POV for that. Maybe.

**notes5:** (6/25)  
**disclaimer:** If I owned Fairy Tail, then I'm a terrible writer/author/Hiro Mashima because I don't know _what the hell_ is going to happen in the next manga chapter. But I'm excited!  
**summary:** Because Natsu's job was to keep Lucy from dating jerks.

* * *

"Mira, I have to go home now!"

He heard Lucy tell the barmaid. Sitting a few tables away from the wooden bar, he inconspicuously listened to their conversation.

"Oh my, Lucy, do you have a date tomorrow?" Mirajane asked in her usual inquiring (nosy, in his opinion) manner.

"Yup," Lucy chirped back in her I'm-so-excited-to-go-on-a-date-with-another-asshole voice (okay, maybe that's what he called it).

When the guild doors swung close, he got up from his seat and walked towards the white-haired barmaid polishing glasses.

He had a job to do.

* * *

He jumped into the house through the window, feet noiselessly landing on the wood floor. He took pride in himself that he had perfected the art of sneaking.

A startled scream welcomed him, and he knew his job was starting. "W-what are you doing in my house?"

"Thanks for the lift, Happy!" He told the Exceed, pretending not to notice the boy gaping at him.

"H-hey!" the boy said, "What are you doing here?"

He turned to the boy, expression having a harder edge than the usual. "Let's get down to it," he said, briefly cracking his knuckles. This made the boy cower. Counting with his fingers, he started.

"Hold hands with Lucy and I'll—well, Lucy likes holding hands so I can't do anything about that. Hold Lucy's hips and I'll break your fingers. Go lower and I'll break your legs. Go higher and I'll break your arms. Hug Lucy and I'll rearrange your face with a punch. Kiss Lucy and I'll make sure you can't have children."

His face took a more serious edge at the next threat, his voice hard and warning. "Make Lucy cry and I'll break _every bone_ in your body before I burn you to ashes and send you to hell."

After staying a few moments to look the boy in the eye, he jumped out of the window he came from, leaving Lucy's date shaking and peeing in his pants.

* * *

"Where's Natsu?" Erza asked no one in particular, "I have a job for us to do."

"Oh, Lucy's on a date," Mirajane answered from across the guild, wiping the bar table that, in reality, was already clean and spotless.

"That answers where Lucy is," Erza said, eyes looking around the whole of the guild, "But that doesn't answer my question about Natsu."

"Of course it does," the barmaid smiled, "Natsu's doing another job of his, a job he only does whenever Lucy's on a date."

* * *

The tree provided him with the perfect vantage for his _watching over_ Lucy (Happy insisted it was snooping and stalking rolled into one, so in response, he didn't let the Exceed come with him). The two—Lucy and her _date_—had just come out of a cafe.

With observing a great number of her dates (he briefly wondered if that was something to be proud of), he knew that Lucy always went to specific places. It was like a default list, and in a way, it helped him with surveillance more. First, the bookstore, then the restaurant, and finally the park. He mused on the fact that the itinerary was _so Lucy_. It described her so much he couldn't help but think how he should be doing it with her and not some _guy_.

As if hearing his name within Natsu's thoughts, Lucy's date looked back, eyes trailing upward where he found him sitting on a tree branch. The dragonslayer gave him a tight smile, making the guy visually shudder. Tugging at Lucy's hand, the guy decided, at that moment, to steer her away from where he was perched on. Natsu could only laugh as he descended from the tree, landing on the ground with a soft thud.

Idiot. Didn't he know that he'll follow them even if they went to the farthest tip of the kingdom?

* * *

The bookstore was quiet, save for the buzz of parishioners and browsers perusing the shelves of hardbound and paperback books. He was secluded from this, high up in the second floor, looking down at the ant-sized people below. His eyes steadily followed the blond and brown heads walking side-by-side.

Lucy stopped in front of a part of the shelf to look at a book, and he just _knew_ it was the Romance section. She frequented there when he came with her, throwing subtle looks he would never understand.

Resting his head on his hand, he looked down at the river of people once more, only to find a hand reaching for a curve of a hip and his eyes widened because _those were Lucy's hips and the bastard's hand was slowly inching closer towards them_. Picking up the book next to him (and unconsciously setting it on fire with anger), he threw it at the boy's head, successfully halting his hip-holding and making him fall down on a bookshelf, but not without bringing Lucy with him because _he freaking had his arms around her waist and when did that happen?_

Seeing them leave the bookstore (and the toppled shelf), Natsu vowed to make the boy's face unrecognizable when he's done with him.

* * *

Irritation was starting to creep up to Natsu. They were in a classy restaurant halfway across the city, so that meant he had to walk for miles (not that he was complaining. He'd rather walk than take the train, or ride any transportation for the matter). By the time he arrived at the restaurant—trying to be inconspicuous, of course—it was already packed with customers and the only table available was at the very corner of the restaurant, tables and tables away from Lucy and her date. It was like the boy actually planned it, preparing for his arrival. Grumbling, he took the table anyway.

His view from the table was _terrible_. Lucy's back was directly facing him, and he could only see a little of what the boy was actually doing, even with his sharp eyes. His sense of hearing could still pick up what they were saying, which made the location seem not as bad. Then again, he had an exceptional hearing, and he would still be able to hear them from a mile away.

He was in the process of tuning out everything the boy said (because nothing he said mattered to him) and only listening to Lucy's voice (that wasn't very hard; he did that everyday) when another voice intercepted with his _eavesdropping_. "Sir, how may I help you?"

"Not now," he grumbled, trying to go back into the two's conversation. When his ears successfully stopped listening to the waiter (or the waiter stopped talking), he was already picking up Lucy's not-too-calm voice.

"W-what are you doing?"

And when he looked back, the boy's face was leaning towards Lucy's.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Lucy-san," the boy said, his face close to Lucy, "You have something near your eye." He closed his eyes and blew, soft wisps of air touching her skin. His fingers wiped at the part, brushing away loose strands of blond hair. "Okay, it's gone."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Natsu became a hundred degrees hotter, _literally_. The bastard just _kissed_ Lucy. He sure as hell won't be letting him get away with it. After he punched him in the face, he's gonna castrate the bastard and make sure he can't have children. Then, he's going to—

"Sir, you're melting the knife!"

Sure enough, there was a puddle of gray liquid which could only have been the metal knife he _was_ holding in his hand. Still, it didn't calm him down one bit, his anger still rolling in waves around him (and really, the whole restaurant could feel it; the customers were already _sweltering_).

"Why is it suddenly so hot in here?" He heard Lucy say, his selective view only picking up her hand fanning her face.

The boy's eyes roamed around the room, accidentally making eye contact with him. Another utensil from the table was broken. His intense glare shook the boy. "I-I-I don't know, but let's just g-go to where you want to go next, okay?" Standing up, he gripped Lucy's hand and bolted out the restaurant, leaving him fuming in his seat (and with two separate bills to pay).

In an unexplainable manic sensation, he chuckled darkly, scaring the customers near him. Lucy's date wanted to disregard every single threat he said? Then he'll make sure he remembered exactly _why_ they were called threats and not requests.

* * *

The park was so full of life for a typical weekday. Kids were playing on the grass, running around with little feet and so much enthusiasm packed in small bodies. The day seemed so perfect and Natsu hated it (okay, maybe his thought process was becoming negative, but it was all _that boy's_ fault). Intent now, his eyes searched the different masses of people for signs of brown and blond hair, not that difficult from high up a tree. He found them shortly after, casually strolling through the park. A sudden rush overcame him the very moment his eyes laid on the boy, and the only thought running in his mind was that _he had to get back at him somehow_.

And so, the silent assaults started. Every time the boy was just about to sit down, the bench would 'accidentally' catch fire _without any way of lighting it on fire whatsoever_. At two completely random times, each of his shoes stuck to the pavement, and upon further inspection, he realized that the rubber at the bottom was melted. Sometimes he felt his back burning and it really was because his clothes were scorching hot. His pants were frayed at the bottom because of some fire appearing _right beside him_. It seemed like every sort of fire accident happened to the boy, and Natsu was enjoying _every minute_ of it, especially since he was the cause. He took pleasure in seeing the boy's frightened, anxious face. Good. He was getting his message.

Another not-so-tiny flame was sent the boy's way when Lucy abruptly stopped, forcing him to eat his fire back. He groaned at what he had to do, but he wouldn't have _ever_ in his life risked Lucy being hurt. Gazing down, he heard her excuse herself.

And she was going towards his tree.

Oh _crap_.

"Natsu!" she called, "You're in there, aren't you?"

Already discovered, he jumped down from the tree, landing right in front of Lucy. She only stared at him as he (on impulse) grasped both her hands, intense resolution in his eyes. "Luce, for whatever he did wrong to you, I swear I'm gonna beat him—"

"What do you mean?" Lucy cut him, "He didn't do anything wrong!"

Natsu could only stand in shock as she defended the one person he wanted to punch in the face so badly. By going against her damn date, he's also going against Lucy, and that did not sit well with him. "Lucy. . ."

"I _know_ you, Natsu," she continued, tone softer yet harder at the same time, "Look, I know you're only looking out for me, but please, stay out of my love life." She pulled her hands from his slackening grip, and turned around, walking away from his still-shock figure.

* * *

Being dropped like a hot potato, the walk back to the guild seemed _so_ depressing. Head bowed, shoulders hunched, hands in pockets, his position said 'desolate' in clear, bold letters. There was only one thing he could think of.

If Lucy herself didn't like what he was doing, then what was the point of doing it?

Suddenly, his ears perked up at a sound. He swore he heard a sniffle from somewhere. The next thing his hearing picked up only confirmed his suspicion, and his feet had already started to run back.

He's been too familiar with the sound for more than he liked.

It was Lucy's strained voice, the voice she used when she was about to cry.

* * *

The sight that welcomed him when he arrived at the very edge of the park was a curled-up Lucy, sitting against a tree trunk that could only provide her with little shade from the sun's rays. The sniffles had evolved into hiccups, and he was sure now that she was crying. Her date was nowhere in sight.

Kneeling down in front of her, he reached out for her shoulders. "Lucy. . ." was the only thing he could utter.

"I'm so stupid, Natsu." She laughed, void of humor and full of pity, and he didn't like how it sounded. Lucy's laugh wasn't supposed to be like that. It was supposed to be bubbly and sweet and bright.

His hand tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear, a thing he usually did to comfort her. "No, Luce, you're not," he said, "He is."

Her head snapped up to look at him, eyes wide and angry. "I am, Natsu!" she shouted, pounding her fists at his chest. He received the blows willingly, only letting her vent out her frustration on him and holding her shoulders comfortingly as she did. "I believed that he liked me!"

When she calmed down enough, breathing heavily from emotion, he gently unfurled her clenched fists, his thumbs caressing the back of her hand. "Lucy," he said tenderly, "You are one of the most wonderful girl I've ever met," his eyes hardened, "And that bastard is stupid not to notice that."

More tears poured from her eyes. "Natsu. . ." And she clung to him, crying on his shoulder, gripping his shirt for comfort. His arms engulfed her in an embrace, his hand stroking her hair. Everything stopped for a moment.

Once her hiccups came less frequent, he pulled back and wiped her tears away. "Are you feeling okay now?"

Her head nodded. "Yeah," she said, voice still scratchy from crying, "I'm fine." She stood and hastily wiped her tears with the back of her hands, dusting her skirt off. "I better go."

He looked up at her, dumbly nodding his head. "S-sure, Lucy."

His eyes followed her as she walked away, but not without turning around to give him a small smile, saying a soft "Thanks, Natsu, for everything."

When she was almost gone from his view, her figure steadily shrinking, he let out a sigh. Lucy always got her feelings hurt, no matter how bad he threatened those bastards. If he had Lucy, he'll make sure she won't get hurt. He won't ever make her cry, and he'll love her—

He stopped his thoughts. What the hell was he doing, standing there and thinking about stupid things? He still had to ask Happy to help him cheer Lucy up, like they always did.

* * *

"There, I won the bet," the boy said, holding his hand out for his winning, "I went on a date with Lucy and I'm still not in the hospital."

"You might want to return the money."

Natsu stepped out of the shadows, but still had enough of them to give a harder edge to his face. Arms crossed over his chest, he gave the now trembling boy a hard stare. The others around them had already scampered away, knowing just how tense the atmosphere was. And, they knew that when the fire mage did such a face, it never promised mercy.

"S-salamander!" the boy squeaked, stepping back to get away from the heated mage.

"You made Lucy cry, you bastard." An almost maniacal grin appeared on his face, showing his sharp fangs. "I'll never forgive you for that."

The boy's trembling worsened when he cracked his knuckles. The bastard deserved it. Lucy didn't deserve someone like him. "W-wait, Natsu-san! S-stop!"

"How about I do all of the above? Just because I'm feeling _extra giving today_."

With every step he took towards the boy, he shrank more and more against the wall, wide-eyed and terrified. Satisfaction coursed inside him at the sight.

It's been a while since an idiot didn't take his threat seriously.

* * *

**notes:** We all know how overprotective Natsu gets when it comes to Lucy.  
**notes2:** And we all know what jealous dragons do.  
**notes3:** I get overprotective about something, too.  
**notes4:** That's right, reviews.  
**notes5:** It's weird, I know.  
**notes6:** Because you can't possibly be overprotective of something you can't touch or hear.  
**notes7:** But you _could_ see it. Okay, not so weird anymore.


	7. fairy tale

**notes:** I totally didn't forget to update.  
**notes2:** Okay, I did.  
**notes3:** But I'm updating now, so no biggie.  
**notes4:** You people may be tired of seeing this, but thank you to those who put this story in their Favorites and Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (Djinni Rakkety Tam, KawaiiOdango, GoldenRoseTanya, IamaPegasusDEALWITIT, Suilen, LuckyLifeSmile, and km28ave)!  
**notes5:** (7/25)  
**notes6:** Just a heads-up, it's an AU (and if you haven't found out from the previous one, my AUs are a _little_ sad).  
**notes7:** Pretend Maleficent wasn't the dragon (and here I am, spoiling stuff already. Way to go, Hikari).  
**disclaimer:** Nope. That last Fairy Tail chapter was far too awesome to be made by someone like me.  
**summary:** Because looking at it from a different view changes everything.

EDIT: My brain was too sleepy yesterday I forgot to put certain things in italics. That's kinda like not being able to put the title for a story (okay, not exactly, but it was pretty vital). So, sorry for the confusion! Fixed it as soon as I woke up (like, right now).

* * *

The bottom of her pink dress rustled as she padded across an endless forest, the click-clack sound of heels echoing within the tall, dark trees. Her curled, blond hair brushed against bare shoulders with every step, but she had been so used to the sensation that she barely felt it. For days she had walked through the same forest, saw the same trees, heard the eerie breezes of wind. The surroundings never changed. _Nothing_ changed. She could only look down her path with blank, glossy eyes.

But up ahead, amidst the unchanging forest, stood a boy which could only be a little older than she was. A shock of pink hair was atop his head, spiky and going in all directions yet seeming soft to the touch at the same time. A white scaled scarf hung around his neck, and the scaly attire he wore fitted him well enough for her to see the toned muscles underneath. But what puzzled her, what drew her into him, was the bright, friendly grin on his face.

"Who are you?" she asked, in awe of seeing another living being in the realm that she thought only existed for her.

The boy's grin only became wider, jovial and energetic that seemed to bring life to the seemingly dead surroundings.

"I'm the one who's going to protect you."

* * *

_"Get the princess!"_

_Her eyes refused to open, and although she was awake, she found herself completely immobile, conscious enough to know what was happening outside her body but not enough to interact with it. The linen she was lying on was soft, the pillow comfortably cushioning her head, and she realized that she didn't want to get up either way. In here, she could settle being a silent spectator._

_"Everyone, try and breach the castle!"_

_She heard heavy, armored footsteps running against stone, yells and commands of men in different volumes, and metal clashing against metal. Despite not being fully aware of the surroundings, she knew there was a conflict occurring outside her body, but she didn't know about what._

_The screaming and the metal-clashing went on for a few moments, getting closer and louder to her. Anxiety started to claw its way to her head as the sounds ensued. Who would guard her from them if they came close? There was nothing she could do to be able to do that by herself._

_When she had near accepted the fact that her death was coming, something she didn't expect happened. There was a roar of a dragon, loud, mighty and frightening, silencing every noise there was._

_Oddly, instead of feeling terrified, a serene calm filled her, all the fear and anxiety disappearing into nothing but silly worries. She slipped back into unconsciousness, thinking that with that mighty dragon near her, she was safe._

* * *

Poke.

"Luce."

Poke.

"Luucee."

Poke.

"Luuucccyyyy~"

Irritated, her eyes snapped open, immediately directing a glare at the grinning boy. "What is it this time, Natsu?"

"You fell asleep again."

She only realized then how close they were sitting together, their shoulders and knees bumping. One of his arms held her close. "I can't help it!" she whined, "Your shoulder is such a nice place to lay my head on." Her head nuzzled the crook of his neck for emphasis, earning a stammer from the boy.

"But do you know why that happens?" Natsu asked after her fits of laughter finished, "Why you suddenly just collapse and fall asleep? I know it's not normal, Luce. . ." Just barely, she caught his soft, mumbled sentence. "It makes me worry, too."

"I guess that's what a witch's curse does," she said, a faraway look on her eyes, "Putting you to sleep even if you don't want to."

"Don't think about it, Lucy." The reassuring grin of his was back, and it had an effect on her that made her doubts and worries disappear, like his simple presence held every certainty of a happy ending. "I'm here to protect you, remember?"

His words became less audible, and she didn't know if it was him softening his voice or her ears toning his voice down. Her eyelids felt heavier, and Natsu's voice lulled her to oblivion.

"I'll always be here."

* * *

_Her fingers twitched, but that was all she could do. She had come back to this state for more than she could keep count, but with every return, she felt like she lost a period of time. The castle walls were beginning to rot and weaken, evident from their creaks and rumbles. The rustle of leaves sounded closer with each return, new trees growing near the castle. The forest outside could've already been filled with overgrown trees. Days, weeks, months, years could have gone while she was there, yet she only knew that she had been there for a long time._

_The fighting outside happened less frequent. There were a couple few full-on surges towards the castle, but their numbers became less and less with each, until only parties of one came. But, in her mind, she knew that the reason the onslaughts didn't reach her was because of the dragon outside her castle. A mighty roar always followed every clash of metal, then it was always silence that remained after. She was being protected by the dragon._

_"Hello there, my dragon."_

_She stiffened. She had heard that voice before._

_"How are you doing?"_

_It was the witch's voice. And the dragon's master._

_Cold dread flowed through her, freezing and numbing every part it passed. At the same time, disappointment and betrayal burned inside her. She became a mixture of hot and cold as she contemplated on the possibility that if the dragon was the witch's pet, then it wasn't there to protect her. It was there to keep her from going._

_But instead of the submissive growl, a load roar came from the dragon, hostile and not a hint of the you-are-my-master obedience. She heard a swipe of air, and knew that the dragon clawed at the witch. It was going against its master._

_"W-what are you doing, my dragon?" the witch screeched, narrowly dodging each swipe of the dragon's claws and tail._

_A whiz through the air, and the dragon was roaring and growling. She could just feel that the dragon had been hurt. Worry made her nauseous and her head hurt so much she couldn't think of anything else but the dragon fighting outside._

_"I was the one who put you here to guard the princess!" The witch was desperate now, desperate to reason with it that she shouldn't be killed. But the dragon was beyond listening to her._

I'm here to protect you.

_A distant voice said, and it sounded so familiar to her, yet she couldn't place a name on the calming voice._

_As the tendrils of sleep pulled her down, the witch's agonized scream was the last she heard, drowned out by the dragon's victorious roar._

* * *

"—Lucy."

Her eyes fluttered open, staring up at the very close face of a pink-haired boy. "Did you say something, Natsu?" she asked, voice soft from sleep.

He almost jumped, but stayed still and careful with her head on his lap. "N-no, I didn't." He turned his head to the side, pink dusting his cheeks.

What caught her attention was the now visible scar on his neck, glaringly prominent without the scarf that always covered it up. She reached up and brushed the rough patch of skin with her fingers, watching as a shiver ran down Natsu's body. Her eyes stayed drawn to the scar. "How did you get this again?"

An image of a witch sending a wave of black magic towards a dragon flashed in her mind, but it was gone as soon as it came. She shook her head at the peculiar thought and chuckled at Natsu's flustered expression, trying to come up of a lie to tell her about the injury. "I-I—" he started, "I tripped, then a thorn cut the side of my neck as I fell, so. . .yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

She saw right through his lie, but decided to drop it. She knew he didn't tell her the truth because he didn't want her to worry. He cared for her as much as she did for him.

Truthfully, she didn't know how she would be able to live without him.

"I don't want to go," she suddenly said.

"Where are you going?" Natsu asked, confused and alarmed.

"I-I don't know," she answered. It was weird, but she just had a feeling that she'll be leaving the place soon. Just the thought made her cry. "I want to stay here forever."

Tears were already streaming down her cheeks, and she didn't even know why. Sadness overwhelmed her so suddenly, something she couldn't comprehend. She just wanted to cry and hold Natsu and never let go.

She smiled up at him through her tears. "I love you, Natsu."

He embraced her tightly, briefly, before he mashed his lips with her, longing and wanting and possessive. "I love you, too, Lucy," he whispered, their foreheads pressed together, "I won't let anyone take you away."

She was just about to ask exactly _who_ would take her away when Natsu's face contorted with pain, his body bent over as he clutched his arm. "N-Natsu!" she shouted, frantic.

She heard Natsu mutter "Too soon. . ." before pushing himself up and running away from her. Worried, she ran after him. "Natsu," she called, "Natsu, is something wrong?"

At that moment, gashes and cuts appeared on various parts of his body, on his cheek, his thigh, the back of his hand, everywhere. Her eyes widened. "Natsu!"

He smiled at her weakly, eyebrows lowered and mouth tight. Wounds continued to appear, blood trailing from them and coloring his skin crimson. To her, it felt like goodbye.

"Good night, Luce."

And she was out like a light.

* * *

The cracks of the unfamiliar ceiling welcomed her, and she realized it was the first time she ever saw the stone ceiling. It was the first time her eyes opened to see it.

Slowly, she got up, the mattress creaking with the motion. Looking around, she found that the room only contained the bed and nothing else. Outside, some of the trees have creeped into the window.

A roar ripped through her musings. The same roar that followed every charge, and the same roar that silenced everything. The roar of the dragon who always protected her.

She ran to the window, wanting to get a glimpse of it, when two pairs of arms circled around her waist, pulling her from the window before she could even see the dragon. The figure hoisted her on his shoulder, saying, "I got the princess!"

"W-what are you doing?!" she screamed at the boy with light brown hair who refused to put her down. "Let me go!" The boy ignored her requests, continuing to descend the spiral staircase and out the castle.

The sight outside almost made her cry. Puddles of blood pooled the stone entranceway, warm and crimson and _once inside a living thing but now sprayed across the ground_. But the source of the blood, the creature who lost all those blood, was the mighty dragon, now fallen on the ground laying on its own crimson blood. Their eyes met, and the dragon struggled to get up, only to fall back down, splashing the crimson pools. Instead, it let out a roar, pained and heartbreaking.

A smiling pink-haired boy appeared in some hidden part of her memory, and something wet was trailing down her face, because she loved him, and she was being taken away from him.

Because the dragon was Natsu, and he always protected her.

"Natsu!" she called out desperately, reaching her hand out towards the mortally wounded dragon. The dragon roared in response, equally desperate in its weak state.

_"Lucy!"_ Natsu, in his human form yet nothing but a soul, ran after her, eyes wide with fear of losing her. But he was getting farther and farther away from her, and before he completely disappeared from her vision, he heard him scream her name, agonizing and pained, exactly like the fallen dragon's roar.

* * *

_The wind continued to blow past the empty castle, the leaves of the overgrown trees rustling with the breeze. The walls were crumbling down, rotting. Everything was falling apart._

_The pink-haired boy stayed trapped in the forest, running and running through the endless rows of dead trees. He continuously ran towards nowhere, desperately chasing after his sleeping beauty._

_The End._

* * *

Lucy: Natsuuuu!  
Some random guy: So, do we get married now?

**notes:** ^ That is the worst.  
**notes2:** I _love_ fairy tales. Who doesn't?  
**notes3:** If I did put tail instead of tale somewhere (I'm not sure), I apologize for my super bad Fairy Tail addiction. I swear, it's happened before.  
**notes4:** My brain's too tired to think of a witty remark for reviews. Can't I just normally ask for them? (Lol jk just say whatever you want on that very, very big review box)


	8. house

**notes:** I'm back with my procrastination—I mean, update.  
**notes2:** This one-shot is pretty short, but think of it as a relief from last chapter and the next chapter. Woops, did I just say that the next one's gonna be an AU? *evil smirk*  
**notes3:** Thank you, thank you, thank you to people who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (GoldenRoseTanya, Xx shimmering starlight xX, xBluieLovex, Disappear500, Puma, LuckyLifeSmile, .xX, Squirrel Singer, and km28ave)!  
**notes4:** I just thought of another meaning to AU (well, my AUs anyway): AU=**a**ngsty and hard to **u**nderstand.  
**notes5:** (8/25)  
**disclaimer:** Yes, because clearly, Fairy Tail's own mangaka, Hiro Mashima, would write a non-canon fanfiction instead of actually doing it in the canon manga.  
**summary:** Because no matter how many houses he had destroyed, he could never destroy Lucy's house.

* * *

A wince contorted his face, pain evident in his features, as Lucy dabbed the cotton soaked with antiseptic on one of his wounds. Seeing this, she apologized and tried to be more gentle. Still, with half of his body covered in wounds, he didn't think she'll be able to maintain the gentleness. She was still mad at him after all, and anger sometimes made her unintentionally more rash with her actions.

Setting the bloodied cotton down, she surveyed his wounds, a displeased expression on her face. A sigh escaped her lips. "How did you get wounded this badly?"

"I got him, Luce," he said, voice becoming softer than usual, "I-I almost got him."

"You shouldn't have gotten this much wounds if you proceeded with that final attack," she scolded, "Why didn't you?" Her hands were already on her hips, a stance he recognized as the one she always used when she interrogated him.

"Because. . ." he started, but didn't know how to continue without the next words sounding stupid, "because there were houses where I was going to send my attack."

Her piercing stare didn't waver. "That didn't stop you before." Her face came closer, looking at him in the eye. Natsu could tell she just _knew_ he wouldn't be able to lie with those big, brown eyes staring right into his soul. "Tell me the truth, Natsu."

He squirmed under her gaze, a dead giveaway of him withholding the truth. Averting his eyes, he mumbled his response. "Your house."

"What?"

He said it louder. "I could've hit your house."

Her brows furrowed. "Well, it's either that or this." She touched one of his wounds, making him wince. "It's okay for me to lose my house rather than you almost getting killed."

"It's not okay for me!" he shouted like a child, bringing a small smile to Lucy's lips, "You go on missions because you have to pay the rent. Without your house, you won't go on missions with us anymore." He sulked.

His reasoning—albeit wrong—made Lucy smile. He should've stopped right there. Really. But he didn't.

"And I often have Happy fly me up to your window so I could get into the house."

"That's why I don't lock the win—"

"And I usually crash at your house to do push-ups."

"Well, Natsu—"

"And Happy and I always eat your food."

"Natsu—"

"And your bed is soooo comfy and I could only sleep there."

"Nat—"

"And sometimes, on the couch, we ki—"

"Natsu!"

He stopped his rambling to look at the red-faced Lucy. She let the blush disappear before sitting beside him, a tender look on her face. "It's so sweet how you treasure the house."

"Of course," he said, "It's where everything happened." He valued the memories, really, just like how he collected a keepsake from every mission they went on.

"But, you know. . ." Her eyes held a meaningful glint as she leaned closer. "If my house was broken down, I would've stayed at your house." There was an overwhelming suggestive intent in her voice that it was hard for even someone as dense as him to miss.

His eyes widened in realization. Lucy would sleep over at his house if her house was destroyed. At the thought, he felt giddy with excitement. "Then I'll just burn the house dow—"

"Nice try," Lucy said, "But if you break my house _now_, I won't speak to you until it's fixed."

The pout naturally appeared on his face, but it turned into the grin moments after as he thought of something.

Because it might sound cheesy, but he considered Lucy's house his home, too. No matter what, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to destroy it. Paying for the rent or kissing on the couch just wouldn't be the same if it wasn't done inside her apartment, because everything about her home felt like Lucy and he wouldn't trade that for anything else.

* * *

**notes:** Short, I know.  
**notes2:** But don't worry, the next one-shot is going to be long (translation: I haven't even finished it).  
**notes3:** But don't worry (this is getting pretty repetitive), you know what would make me finish it and the next one after?  
**notes4:** You guessed it right, you smart reader, reviews, of course!  
**notes5:** So keep 'em coming! I really appreciate them.  
**notes6:** Then proceed to boost up my ego (jk).


	9. mermaid

**notes:** I'm back (even if I went absolutely _nowhere_).  
**notes2:** This is a pretty long chapter. It took me longer than it should've.  
**notes3:** Yay for italics-overuse!  
**notes4:** I could not stress this enough, but keep in mind that this is an **AU** *creepy, twisted smile*  
**notes5:** Thank you to those who put this story in their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (LuckyLifeSmile, TacosAnonymous, QueenP19, KawaiiOdango, Squirrel Singer, piggycat350, NaLuLover, Xx shimmering starlight xX, Yuni-sama, phantom, GoldenRoseTanya, and Captain Ea Rayos)! You don't know how much your reviews make my day!  
**notes6:** (9/25)  
**disclaimer:** Imagine me owning Fairy Tail. That would be awesome. . . for me, not so much for you guys. Take a hint from my AUs and tell me how _happy_ you get reading them.  
**summary:** Because she almost drowned and he was a mermaid(man) who can't sing for his life.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

She heard a voice ask. Definitely male.

"Yooo, wake up."

That voice was getting _annoying_. As if that wasn't enough, the boy shook her hard.

"Maybe I should sing?"

There was a small sound of agreement, pitchy, before an ear-grating singing floated in the air. Coughing, she was forced to open her eyes. "Okay, okay, I'm awake."

And she couldn't hold back the scream when she saw a big head in her vision, the boy peering at her very closely.

The boy pulled back. "Geez, so loud." He turned to his companion, and she had to blink her eyes a couple of times to make herself believe she wasn't seeing things. The cat was _blue_, and it had _wings_. "Is that the way humans thank others?"

She glared at him. "Aren't you human, too—_Oh, my god_." And she found herself openly gaping at the boy-who-was-not-such-a-normal-boy because he had a _tail_ instead of feet. That was definitely not normal. "You're a mermaid," she whispered in awe.

"No!" The boy looked insulted. "I'm not a mermaid. I'm a mer_man_."

"But you have pink hair."

"I'm a boy, dammit!" He stared at her as she laughed. "You're such a weirdo, you know that?"

"What?!"

The retort on her lips died when he flashed her a grin, so bright and sunny on the white-sanded beach. "I'm Natsu," he said, pointing his thumb at himself, "And this is my friend, Happy." The cat yelled 'Aye!' in agreement when he gestured to him/it/the talking thing (It took her a few moments to actually process that the flying blue cat could _talk_).

And everything was a bunch of weird misfits that she couldn't help but laugh. This wasn't possible. This couldn't _actually_ be real. A pink-haired mermaid—okay, mer_man_—and a flying blue cat that can talk could only exist in her imagination. "Of course," she chuckled to herself, "This is a dream."

"No, it's not, you weirdo." Before she could protest, he was already pulling her hand and leading her into the water.

"This is so much better than a dream."

* * *

The aquamarine water looked clearer and bluer when viewed underwater. The cool feel of the waters was calming as the ocean surrounded her. There was a momentary panic at the thought of drowning, but with Natsu's reassuring grin, she took a breath and there was nothing but wonder left. She could breathe underwater. The wonder turned to glee, because never did she, in her wildest dreams, think she'll be able to actually _live_ underwater.

Natsu dragged her across coral reefs and jellyfish fields and schools of fishes, letting her have a whole new _amazing_ experience. Her eyes lit up with childlike enthusiasm at the sights as they swam to their unknown destination.

And when Natsu nudged her, saying that they had arrived, just when she thought nothing would be able to top everything she had seen, the giant pearl and limestone castle loomed over her, sparkling and shimmering and _everything out of a fairy tale_. It had a majestic yet comfortable aura around it that made her wonder.

The pink-haired merman grinned at her.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."

It felt like the mark of a new life.

* * *

"Natsuuuu, pleeeeaaaassseeeee?"

The cutesy pout and puppy dog eyes were already on her face, putting up her best Natsu-persuasion-technique. It had a 100% guarantee of working.

"No, I'm not doing it." The boy had his head turned to the side, avoiding her stare. He wouldn't be able to keep resisting soon, she thought.

She puffed her cheeks in indignation. "Fine." When Natsu's sigh of relief came, the evil smirk appeared on her face. She wasn't backing down that easily. Taking big steps backward, she purposely let herself fall from the rock she was standing on. Her hands flailed around as she called for him. "Natsu!"

Bubbles filled her vision, but when everything cleared up, she wasn't wrong to expect the pink-haired merman swimming towards her, worry evident in his features. "Lucy!"

When he reached her, she didn't waste a moment to encircle her arms around his neck, making him jump with shock. "Idiot~" she said in his ears, "Didn't you remember I could breathe underwater? You don't have to worry so much. I won't drown."

His breaths came out ragged, and it was abnormal enough for her to worry. It worried her more that it wasn't the first time it happened. "Natsu, are you okay?"

A few moments passed that no response came from him, but when one did, when the cheery "I'm fine, Luce" came from him, it was as if nothing wrong happened. She ignored it, thinking it could just be out of worry, and instead continued with her demand. "Can you give me a ride now?"

Natsu sighed, knowing it was no use to argue. "Hang on," he said, gripping the arms around his neck. His tail flapped fast and before she knew it, the cool feel of the waters was back again, touching her skin, billowing her hair behind her, making her laugh at the thrill of riding. It was cliché, but she always felt alive when Natsu allowed her to ride on his back and sail across the water.

By the end of the ride, Natsu's face was already green, cheeks puffed out.

"You idiot! You consider yourself a transportation?!"

* * *

The dining hall was always rowdy during meals. Food flew everywhere, impressive enough on its own _because they were underwater and usually things sail slower when thrown but these people could throw food at a hundred miles per hour_. She reserved herself a quiet corner, eating her kelp in peace (Kelp wasn't one of her favorite underwater food. The ocean was full of fish but she can't very well ask to eat them because mer-people considered them pets. Eating one would be like eating Happy. Even though she wanted badly to be able to eat the only meat available underwater, she didn't ask for it. She only made that mistake once).

Natsu, as usual, joined in the food-fight-turned-into-a-fist-fight brawl, leaving the seat beside her empty. It was weird how easily she came to terms with his unruly behavior, being raised sophisticatedly from a rich family. It was actually as if she _liked_ it, liked something that wasn't in her.

By that time, a plate of beautifully prepared fish was placed in front of her, steaming hot and _actually a fish_ (When she sulked about not being able to have fish, Natsu had designed kelp and seaweed to look like fish just to stimulate her to eat it). Her eyes trailed up to meet the boy's bright grin. "Luce, I know how you like to eat fish so much, so. . ." His hand rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from her. "We decided to get one for you. Happy helped me pick the fish!"

She squealed at the sight of meat and dug in immediately. "Thanks, Natsu! You're the best." Even though the dish tasted differently, she assumed it was because she was underwater and everything was different here. "I'm sorry you had to kill a fish just for me," she said through a mouthful. Really, it was so sweet of Natsu to do this for her.

"What? I didn't kill a fish," he said, head cocked to the side in confusion, "That fish was already dead when I found it."

She spat out the remaining dead fish in her mouth.

* * *

"N-Natsu, where are we going?"

The boy yanking her hand just continued to grin. "You'll see, Luce, but I'm sure you'll love it."

"Can't I at least ride on your back?" The cute, persuading smile was back, big, pleading brown eyes coaxing Natsu into submitting to her demand.

Unfortunately, Natsu seemed to be dead set on his goal, solely focused on reaching the mystery destination. He didn't even look at her as he replied. "Do you wanna see clear blue, or do you wanna see green? Your choice."

She cringed at that. "Gross, Natsu," she said, playfully hitting him, "You could've just said no."

His laugh rang in her ears. "Would you have stopped if I said no?"

She mused over the thought for a brief second. "Probably not."

When everything around them significantly changed, his head snapped to the side, pink strands of underwater-gravity-defying hair swaying with the movement. The way his eyes lit up made her smile a little. "Lucy, we're here!"

And her eyes were directed to what was, undoubtedly, the most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

The sun filtered through the surface of the water, shining down its rays across the ocean and casting a glow on the sandy floor. The open shells glistened under the light, the pearls inside having a glow that made everything look mystical. Corals and rocks surrounded the shell bed in a manner that made it seem like the rocks were protecting the shells themselves. But the most eye-catching part of the scenery, the main attraction, was the sea flowers—water lilies, water poppies, water hyacinths—floating down from above, housed inside each bubble. It was a flower heaven.

Her eyes lit up with childlike wonder. Even when Natsu steered her to sit on one of the bedrocks, she only stared at the amazement that was the different colors of the flowers dancing in her sight. Everything felt so _surreal_ and all she felt was a mix of giddiness and euphoria with not enough reasons. It must've been an effect of the mystical underwater flower garden, she told herself. "This is amazing," she managed to breathe out, turning to Natsu, "Thank you—" The end of that sentence occurred to her then. "Thank you. . . for bringing me here."

His shoulders went up and down in a shrug. "It was nothing. Happy showed this place to me before."

She shook her head, a smile grazing her lips. "Not just here, Natsu." She pointed at the garden. "To this new life. To Fairy Tail. Underwater."

They just smiled at each other for moments, a simple upturn of the lips, a wordless conversation through their eyes. A single bubble descended in front of Natsu, and he caught it effortlessly with his open hands. "There's a legend about this garden," he said, staring at his distorted reflection on the bubble, "I don't believe in legends, but I thought you were the type to, so I brought you here." She smiled at that. "Mira said that if a special someone gave you one of these floating flowers, it will grant your wish." He handed her the bubble in his hands, and she took it, surprised but free of reluctance. After having the bubble out of his palms, he scratched the back of his head, as if embarrassed he did something so cheesy. "I-I know I'm not a special someone, but I want to at least grant you a wish."

"What are you talking about?" She laughed, incredulous. "You are someone special, Natsu." Her hand hesitantly reached up, wanting to hold his cheek, and he caught it halfway, doing it himself. She blushed but still managed to continue. "The most special."

It was his turn to blush, a hue similarly colored to his hair spreading on his cheeks. Knowing he was just as embarrassed as she was gave her the confidence to say what she had always wanted to. "If you hadn't saved me from drowning the day we first met, I wouldn't have—"

"No," he said, cutting her off with a sharp voice, "Luce, don't you dare continue that. If that happened, I would've—" His eyes widened at the mistake, at his blatant admission, and abruptly broke eye contact with her own. "I-I mean, I'm not saying that I _did_ save you, it's just that—"

"Why do you intend to keep it a secret?" She turned his face back to her so their eyes met. "I've known it long ago. I've _always_ known. And even if I didn't," her gaze softened, "I'd still believe it was you."

He let out a low laugh, rumbling in his chest. "Guess I wasn't very good at hiding it."

"The pink hair is kind of a rare thing."

They shared one more laugh before the atmosphere around them started to shift, turning much more intimate with every second of intense eye contact. His face leaned closer, and when she could already feel his warm breath on her skin and their lips were so close to touching, he said softly, tenderly, "Make a wish, Lucy." Her eyes closed, and she knew in her heart what she wanted the most in the world.

As she finished her wish, her eyes fluttered open, only to see a very troubling sight. Natsu's body swayed back and forth, eyes half-lidded and unfocused. She caught him just in time, the flower bubble, now glowing, immediately discarded and forgotten.

He fell onto her, unconscious and unresponsive to her panicked calls. She shook him a couple of times, only to see that no matter what she did, he _didn't wake up and oh my god what was she gonna do?_

And within a few moments, she found herself unable to breathe.

* * *

The familiar pattern of a limestone ceiling was the first thing he saw when his eyes snapped open. He dwelled over the fact of how it looked _awfully similar_ to Fairy Tail's infirmary room before sitting up abruptly, head swiveling from left to right. "Where's Lucy?!" Black eyes searched the room, frantic and desperate.

"Calm down, Natsu." A hand was already on his chest, Makarov pushing him back down on the bed. "Lucy's in the other room. Erza and Mirajane are watching over her."

The relief was evident on his face. "So she's still—"

"Breathing, yes." The master nodded solemnly. "It was peculiar. When Erza and Gray found the both of you, she was unconscious, but she was still breathing."

Natsu turned somber, staying unusually quiet as the short man's tone turned serious. "That was too close, Natsu," he said, "You collapsed because you ran out of magic power. It would've been fine before, but now, you have a _person_ to keep alive. Lucy can only breathe underwater because of your magic power."

Makarov turned around, swimming towards the door, but not without another message to the sullen boy on the bed. "You can only keep this up for so long. We don't know if Lucy's still going to be breathing the next time this happens." And the door closed with a shut.

Natsu sank deep in thought. Because everything Master said was true no matter how much he didn't want it to be. Because today, only after this incident, it dawned on him that Lucy's life depended greatly on him and his limited magic power. Because he knew, deep inside him, that his magic couldn't let Lucy stay forever.

* * *

"Lucy, is there anything you want?"

She looked at him, puzzled, his eyes untimely determined and having a twinge of bare sadness. "Why do you ask?"

He tried to appear nonchalant. "N-nothing." She barely missed the stutter. "I just thought I'll grant one of your wishes."

"Well then," she started, "if there's anything I want most, it's to be a mermaid." Her lips smiled at the thought. "So I can live here, forever."

Natsu seemed to flinch away at the word, but it disappeared as soon as it came. Instead, a small grin formed on his face. It worried her that it didn't reach his eyes, like the usual did. "Then let's turn you into a mermaid."

Even so, she never doubted that he'll make it happen.

* * *

He led her to a cavern after a week of receiving numerous gifts from her new family. It was a strange surprise everyday, but she would be lying if she said this—going to this mysterious cavern—wasn't what she really looked forward to. Everything about today felt like a huge change was bound to happen.

The cavern was mysterious on its own, raw magic emanating from it through the entrance. Fishes were wise enough to stay away from it, as if sensing something beyond comprehension going on inside. Still, this only encouraged her to enter.

Once inside, bottles of differently-colored catalysts, potions and antidotes lined up on shelves until the corner of her vision. Having so much magic in one place worried her a bit, a chill going down her spine. She hugged herself unconsciously. "What kind of twisted witch owns this place?"

"Mirajane," Natsu said simply, as if that was a normal thing.

It made her eyes widen in surprise. "_Mirajane_ owns _this_?"

He nodded. "Yeah." Then his face took a more serious turn, and she hated how she can't comprehend what it meant even if she had seen it a couple of times during the past week. "She let me take you here today."

The thought came back, and with it the exciting sensation. "What are we waiting for?" She pulled his hand forward. "Let's go! I'm sure Mira told you which potion is the right one, right?"

Rather stiffly, he nodded with an equally stiff smile. "Yeah, she showed me which one was the right to choose."

She sent him a weirded look. Brushing off his strange sentences with their supposed undertones, she helped Natsu reach the potion on the top shelf. He handed it to her, and with little hesitation, she took it in her hands.

The glass felt cold against her skin, the pads of her thumbs grazing the smooth surface of the container with her fate cased inside it. The purple liquid was a clear solution, seemingly having a soft glow around it. It was as every bit as magical and she was fascinated by it.

"Just drink it, and everything will be fine."

Natsu's strained voice came between her thoughts, and she decided that she couldn't ignore his unusual behavior. Something wasn't right if he wasn't his cheerful self. "Natsu, is something wrong?"

He shook his head, a small grin plastered on his face. "Nothing's wrong, Luce," he said, voice steady but still strained at the same time, "I'm just nervous about this." He waved his hand, the aura of fake nonchalance around him. "Go ahead and drink it, before I couldn't control myself and stop you."

After throwing him one last withering look, she took the cap off—thin purple smoke coming out of the mouth—and pressed the bottle's mouth to her lips, downing the potion in one straight gulp.

Putting the emptied glass container down, she looked around, eyes hazy and blank. Her eyes blinked, and after a moment, the brown of her irises returned, the light in them, and she blinked again at her surroundings. Nothing changed. It hit her. _Nothing_ was changing and there should be _something_ happening but everything was the same.

The blue cat flew—swam—in at that time, a happy expression on his—its—face. "Lucy, did it work?"

She blinked her eyes at the creature. "Who are you?" A wounded expression flitted in the cat's big eyes and she felt guilt at the pit of her stomach. "I-I feel like I know you, but I don't remember."

She stepped back, eyes wide with dread. "Of course I know you! You're—you like fish despite being one, and you have wings, and—and—"

Her hands went up to clutch her head, her body willing her mind to remember. "And my friends—the red-haired mermaid who was tough and girly at the same time and—and the black-haired merman who wore clothes just so he could strip them and—" She went through the list in her head, trying in vain to put names on the vivid faces in her memories.

Her gaze went to a pink-haired boy, and her eyes widened even more. "Natsu," she said, softly at first, "Natsu, I still remember you!" Natsu's face was filled with a lot of conflicting emotions, remorse and misery crossing his eyes. She walked towards him. "Natsu, what's happening?" He only looked at her with his expressive black eyes. "Nat—"

And the last familiar face had been blanked out, her being able to match neither the face nor the name. She knew a pink-haired boy, and she knew a Natsu, but her mind couldn't tell if they weren't two different people.

"Why can't I remember?!" She looked up at the unknown boy staring down at her with eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "Natsu!" She called out, because even though she couldn't remember who it was, the name naturally passed her lips. Before everything even made sense, she was already crying.

"I don't want to go."

She was clutching the pink-haired boy like her life depended on it.

"I want to stay here."

She looked up to him, tears pouring down her face, pleading to him not to let her go. Through her disintegrated fragments of memory, it seemed like the only thing she wanted the most.

"I want to live here—forever, with everyone, with Natsu, because—"

Weirdly, it was one thing she hasn't forgotten.

"Because I love Natsu."

As she was pulled under a haze and someone caught her with strong arms, she heard a soft whisper, pained and heartbreaking.

"I love you, too, Lucy."

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open, a blurry sky being the first thing she saw. The sun shone down on her, the white sand she was lying on rough against the palm of her hands.

It was all a dream. Everything about mermaids and talking cats was all just a fruit of her imagination because the few little things she remembered from it couldn't be real. She'd dreamt of being a mermaid herself, swimming across the ocean with a cheerful pink-haired boy and she couldn't help but laugh because it was such a stupid wish. "I'm such a weirdo."

_You're such a weirdo._

Before she could help it, salty tears made their way down her face and sobs were already escaping her mouth. Her hands covered her face as she cried out. It was warm and familiar and _painful_ because she couldn't remember who said that to her, yet she felt like that person was very special and maybe _she even loved him_.

Because even though she was only woken up from a fantasized dream, she felt like she lost an important part of her being.

* * *

He watched her from behind a rock, seeing with his own eyes as she crumbled with despair she didn't even know the cause of. His heart clenched at the sight, because she wasn't supposed to be sad and he was supposed to be making her happy.

Instead, he turned away before he reached the point where he couldn't leave her and, wiping away angry tears from his eyes, swam back underwater with a heavy heart, knowing he'd lost the love of his life.

* * *

**notes:** I'm such a terrible person for doing this to you guys.  
**notes2:** But I can't help it. I have a sadistic side.  
**notes3:** Reviews usually sate that side (Translation, if it wasn't clear enough: Review and I might just give you guys a relief next one-shot).  
**notes4:** Keyword: **might**  
**notes5:** I'm pretty unpredictable and I've already planned an AU next chappie.  
**notes6: **So remember: Reviews = _probably_ suppresses sadistic side


	10. age

**notes:** I almost forgot I was going to update today. _Again_.  
**notes2:** This is a pretty long one-shot, too.  
**notes3:** And an AU, but before you turn back, I think it's pretty light (lighter than every AU I've done, anyways). I feel like it's retribution or something, just to make up for the tears you've all shed trololol  
**notes4:** I feel like waiting for my next chapter is like playing Russian roulette. You don't know if the next one will leave you sighing in relief or kill you with emotions.  
**notes5:** Thank you to those who put this story in their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (\cupCakesYummeh, xBluieLovex, Disappear500, Squirrel Singer, HungerGamesrules, QueenP19, GoldenRoseTanya, LuckyLifeSmile, Xx shimmering starlight xX, .xX, TacosAnonymous, greetingsfrommaars PS, your interesting question will be answered somehow, just maybe not directly ;) and not right now lol, km28ave, and Flower of Hell)! I love you guys!  
**notes6:** I actually reached the 100-review mark last chapter (all thanks to you guys!), and Flower of Hell is the 100th reviewer! How does a snippet of the next one-shot sound, just as a little gift? Probably only a day before I update though :)  
**notes7:** (10/25) OMG I've reached double digits!  
**disclaimer:** At 14, I'm already a famous mangaka who created a very famous manga that has sold millions (I don't have the exact statistics) of volumes around the world? That sounds plausible.  
**summary:** Because even after knowing her for 13 years, she didn't seem to change one bit.

* * *

He met her the first time when he was 5. She said she was 17 years old when he asked, and he wondered how she was friends with someone old like Loke.

"I'm not old!" Loke had said indignantly, "I'm only 22!"

He commented that he seemed old compared to Lucy, who looked so young. She chuckled at that, and said something like "I look younger than I really am." He puzzled over that, but one of her pats on his head silenced his thoughts. Because he was a kid, and he shouldn't be thinking of trivial thoughts.

Trivial.

"Lucy, I said 'trivial' in my head! I don't even know what it means but I said it! Do I get a reward?"

* * *

He saw her again when he was 7, and even his young mind wondered how she looked the same when it's been so long since they saw each other (he reasoned that child years were pretty much shorter than normal years—to him, anyways—so that was saying a lot). He asked her why it seemed like that, and she merely chuckled in response, eyes glinting with mirth on something he would never understand.

"It's magic," she told him, still laughing lightly. He pouted, because he was a smart boy and he knew that magic didn't exist.

But he didn't know why it felt like she wasn't joking.

* * *

When he was 10, he'd started to treat her like an older sister. The fact that her appearance suffered no change in the past years still remained, and he'd long since wondered why. But he couldn't stop the comparison and questioning with Loke showing signs of aging during the past 5 years. The boy just resolved with telling himself that it was because Lucy wasn't normal. She was special.

"Lucy," he called, drawing her attention to him, "are you still going to look like that in 7 years?"

A dark veil appeared in front of her eyes, but it was gone before he could ask her why it was there. The bright smile lit up her face, but something about it felt forced and fake. He often doubted her sincerity when it came to talks about the future. It didn't look like Lucy was lying, but it felt like there was something she wasn't telling him. He secretly sulked that it was because he was a kid.

"I'll still look the same, Natsu, trust me."

Sulking aside and forgotten, he grinned at the thought of being able to catch up to her.

* * *

At 13 years old, he started feeling weird, unexplainable feelings _when Lucy was around_. With only one of her smiles thrown his way, butterflies would transpire in his stomach, fluttering their wings annoyingly to taunt him. He couldn't receive any of her usual hugs anymore without his face turning as red as a tomato, and don't even get him started on what happens when she kisses him on the cheek randomly. Not knowing what to do with the unknown territory of _weird, bubbly feelings_, he consulted those he knew would know. He was smart enough to know not to ask Lucy, because she might laugh at him and then he'll be embarrassed in front of her, and that would _not_ be cool. Gray (he didn't know what brought him to ask the bastard) teased that he was going soft, to which he answered with a fist in the face. Gajeel didn't even look like a person to know about feelings any more than he did (they both lacked in that department in different ways). Macao and Wakaba were out of the question (because who knows what kind of perverted things they'll tell him?) and that only left one person.

When he consulted to Loke about the things he started to feel, something flashed in Loke's eyes, under the blue tinted glasses, before it disappeared completely, forever incomprehensible by his mind. The man had told him, rather giddily, that it was because he had a crush on Lucy. Mortified (and misunderstood), he yelled at Loke that he _certainly_ did not want to crush Lucy. Loke couldn't help but laugh at him and, with a pat on the head, told him that he'll understand in due time.

He wondered how Loke was sure he'll understand.

* * *

It was after 3 years, at the age of 16, that he started to understand (and with it, accept) that he felt something special for the blond. And true to her word 6 years ago, she still looked the same as she had during their first meeting, and his maturing mind tried not to question any natural laws being broken. It was still unusual even after 11 years.

During one of his deep thinking (something he didn't do too often or it might just hurt his head), he accidentally bumped into Loke, scattering the pictures the man was holding in his hands. He knelt down to help Loke gather them again, with the orange-haired man clambering on all fours. He carefully picked up the picture nearest to him and his eyes widened at the image.

It was 17-year old Lucy—the same Lucy with the unchanging appearance, looking exactly how she did through the years—and beside her smiled 17-year old Loke.

* * *

The image haunted him for the next 2 years. Whenever his thoughts trudged anything about Lucy's age and obviously long vitality, the hammer-like pain in his head would be back because it never made any sense no matter how he looked at it.

But because he loved her—_he did, he did, he did, for 13 years, ever since they first met_—he ignored her abnormal lack of aging process and tried not to mind it too much. After all, because of it, he finally caught up to her.

So, at 18, he decided it was the right time to confess how he felt. He was older than her by one year—not chronologically speaking, of course, since not even he knew how old she really was—and he didn't want that age difference to lengthen because even though he managed to catch up with her, he knew, at some hidden part in his mind, that she wouldn't.

At New Year's Eve—at the start of another year to show how she wasn't aging—he led her to a secluded, serene hill, palms sweaty with nervousness.

With the fireworks reflecting off his eyes, he took a deep breath and confessed. "I love you, Lucy," he said, taking both of her hands in his, "starting from that day when Loke introduced you to me." Removing one of his hands from hers, he transferred it to the back of his neck. "I'm not really good at the whole 'feelings' thing, but I'm good enough to know that you're special to me. That's—" He realized that he had nothing more to say. "That's it, I guess."

Anxious, he read every emotion that passed through her eyes, watched as each conflicted with another, froze as her eyes glazed over. Something told him that wasn't a good sign.

"Natsu," she said, avoiding his eyes. Her hand hung limply in his hold. "I—" He could feel her trembling with hesitation, or what he hoped was hesitation. Hesitation was probably the best out of all the other choices. "I can't."

To her, he must've looked completely hurt and heartbroken at that moment. His emotions openly showed in his eyes, while hers were carefully guarded. For a moment, he thought he saw them unguarded, revealing the same hurt and sadness in her eyes, but the veil was back before he could tell himself it wasn't his imagination. She pulled her hand back and looked at him with a guilty apology—because she was the cause of his hurt, after all—saying waveringly, "You don't understand."

Before she walked away, his ears picked up a choked sob and a painfully soft "I'm sorry".

* * *

"What is Lucy?"

Loke turned his attention to him with indifference, seemingly unaffected by the question.

"And don't give me that crap that she's perfectly normal because _I know she's not_."

The orange-haired man let out a sigh as he put his book down. "Why do you want to know?"

_You don't understand. _Her words echoed in his mind.

"Because I want to understand."

He was sure Loke only agreed to tell him everything because he saw his defiant resolve of wanting to know. Taking the seat across the orange-haired man as he was told, he steeled himself for what he was about to hear and not be able to un-know. "Lucy is still a human being. She's not a goddess, or a wizard, or a fairy. She's as human as anyone else. . ." Loke pursed his lips unconsciously. "Except that she had stopped aging years ago."

Natsu was only given a brief time for momentary shock before Loke continued. "Lucy and I were childhood friends." He couldn't miss the rueful smile on the man's face. "We grew up together, until she was 17."

"She's frozen at 17, isn't she?"

Loke slightly nodded. "While everyone around her grows and ages."

Natsu's face contorted into something akin to sympathy. "What kind of sick, twisted fate did that to Lucy?"

The man's eyes went blank behind the spectacles. "It wasn't fate, Natsu," he said quietly, "It was a living, human being."

"What?" Natsu snapped, "Tell me who this person is and I'm gonna beat him until he feels guilt for what he's done and stops Lucy from not growing!"

The rueful, bitter smile returned to Loke's face, like he was already accustomed to it. "It was me." Natsu's eyes widened. "I stopped Lucy from aging."

"You bastard!" Natsu's fist pounded on the table as he stood up, glaring at the man in front of him. "Why would you do that to Lucy?!"

"Because I loved her, too, Natsu." Loke looked up to him with sad, truthful eyes, and Natsu couldn't hold everything against him anymore. He sat down again and contented himself with looking away instead.

"But why would you do that?" Natsu mumbled, "I know Lucy's not happy, even though she always smiles."

"Lucy's family had shorter lifespans than normal," Loke started, "Everyone in the family knew they were going to die younger." Natsu didn't miss the clenching of Loke's fists. "But Lucy's lifespan was even shorter than most." His voice started to be more strained. "They predicted she was going to die at 17. How cruel is that?"

Natsu kept his silence, choosing not to answer. It was very cruel, he would admit, but what Lucy was currently going through was very cruel on its own, too. That didn't absolve Loke from anything yet.

"As you may have guessed already, I'm not normal myself," he said, "I'm still human, but I've been blessed with the ability to do magic." He smiled, wry and humorless. "Lucy always told me how she wanted to go on adventures, and meet her prince and fall in love."

Natsu already guessed what Loke was going to say next. "So using my magic, I tried to lengthen her time, at least until she's completely satisfied with her life." The rueful smile never seemed to leave his face anymore, and the boy wondered just how many times he smiled like that at any memory of Lucy before her age froze. "I never thought it would stop her from aging with me."

At the sight of the regretful, remorseful Loke, Natsu couldn't help but be softer, because he knew that, if given the chance, he would've done the same thing. What Loke did was only for Lucy. "Can it be stopped?" he asked, an unbidden edge of hope in his voice, "Reversed?"

Loke shook his head. "Don't you think I could've already if I can?"

Natsu stayed silent for a moment, sad and sympathetic. Then, a thought occurred to him. "But, why didn't you stop yourself from aging? You could've done that, right?"

"I couldn't." Loke looked off to the side, observing the blooming flowers and the near-wilting ones beside them. "It would be the death of me. I can't leave Lucy."

Some selfish part of Natsu's mind rejoiced at the fact that Loke can never live with Lucy forever (then again, neither could he). That same part thanked Loke for freezing Lucy's aging so they had a chance to meet, and he had a chance to fall in love with her. But saying gratitude for that meant he was also giving gratitude for Lucy's suffering. That didn't feel good.

"Natsu, I know how miserable Lucy is because of me." Loke's voice snapped him out of his stupor. "Please don't give up on her. You're the only person I know persistent enough to pursue your love." The man held such a bittersweet smile that made Natsu wish he was seeing the teasing smirk or the overly-obnoxious sneer instead. "Please give her the happiness she deserves."

Natsu gave him a soft smile. "You don't have to tell me, Loke." And he went off to find Lucy.

* * *

He found her standing near her favorite pond, her body bathed in the moon's light. It took his breath away to see her like that, looking like the mystical girl she truly was.

Taking quiet steps, he stood behind Lucy, the girl still unaware of his presence. He couldn't help but slip back to his casual, mischievous ways. His finger poked her back, causing her to jump in fright. She turned to him, the expected glare already fixated on her face. It relieved him a bit to see Lucy acting like herself and not sad-regretful-blank Lucy, like he'd seen her after he confessed. He didn't ever want to see her in such a negative state. "Natsu!" the girl said, "What are you doing here?"

Suddenly reminded of his purpose, his face turned serious and slightly desperate at the same time as he caught Lucy's hands, painfully reminiscent to what he dubbed the 'Confession Scene'. "Lucy, I know what you are, and I'll tell you that it didn't make me love you any less," he said, voice having a slight tremble and a twinge of uncertainty, "If you say that you don't love me, right now, I'll accept it and I won't bother you with it anymore."

Seconds ticked by, seeming like centuries on end to him. The response didn't come until his faith was almost wavering. "I—" His eyes widened, hurt painstakingly spreading on the inside, but he tried not to show it as to not hinder what Lucy was trying to say, whether it was his rejection or not.

"I—" She stumbled with her words, as if she was conflicted and confused. "I-I can't say it."

Natsu couldn't hide the widening of his eyes at her next words. "I love you, Natsu, I love you." She used the heel of her palm to wipe the oncoming wave of tears. "But it's so painful because we can't be together."

"What do you mean we can't be together?"

"I'm living forever, Natsu," she said, solemn, "Forever is a long time."

"I may not be able to be with you forever," Natsu started, already wiping her tears with her, "But I'll be with you for as long as I can, for the rest of my life."

Lucy shook her head vehemently, wanting and yearning yet miserable and time-bound and just a victim of fate. "I don't want to feel the pain of being left by you, and I don't want you to feel the pain of leaving me."

"Luce, look at me," he held her arms, staring straight to her eyes with intensity and so much _devotion_ that she couldn't bear to look away. "I know I can't stay, but don't you think it's better to spend that limited time I have together instead of not? Sure, we don't have forever, but if we live our lives _better_ than forever," he grinned, and it removed all tension from the air (it always had that kind of effect), "wouldn't it all be worth it?"

"It sounds really nice, Natsu," she said, voice full of interlaced hope and desperation and fantasy and the painful reality that it can't happen that easily. "It would be better if it was as easy as that." And she started crying again, causing Natsu to worry and try to calm her down.

"Lucy, Lucy, don't cry," he said tenderly, "If only I had magic, I'll make it all better." A voice in his head said softly, _But you don't_, and it was enough to make him grit his teeth at the unfairness of it all. Why was fate so cruel to prevent Lucy's happiness?

_Don't you think it's time to finally make Lucy happy?_

"Yes," he answered the voice in his head, "And I'll do what it takes just to make her happy."

"Good." A voice in front of him said, and he realized the voice wasn't from his head.

The person's name passed through Lucy's lips in surprise. "Loke." And there, the orange-haired man stood, smirking and looking like normal Loke, but his hazel eyes told Natsu that he was sad and regretful. "What are you doing here?"

The man casually pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I'm here to give you eternal happiness, Lucy."

"Wha—?" She gave him a befuddled look. Natsu had the same expression on his face (who wouldn't after hearing that?), unsure of whether to take it seriously or not.

"You love Natsu, don't you?"

She blushed at the question. "O-of course I do." Natsu couldn't stop the grin because above everything, _Lucy loved him_, and hearing her say it brightened him up a lot.

And then Loke had a weird smile on his face, as if conveying something only Lucy could understand. Beside him, he felt her stiffen. "I've made you miserable for so long," the man said, features as every bit as remorseful. Natsu only realized now that Loke has _always_ been full of regret, and it angered him that he _didn't even notice it one bit_.

"I can leave you now without regrets," Loke said solemnly, sincerely, sadly, "Don't you think so, Lucy?"

And with the widening of Natsu's eyes, Loke's body began to light a soft orange glow. Lucy's pleas—"Loke! No, please, don't do this! Loke!"—were the only sounds filling the chilly, night air. He stood still, paralyzed, because he knew, at the back of his mind, what Loke was doing, and yet he couldn't process it enough to act on it. His words were caught in his throat, and all he could do was stare at the glowing man with wide eyes.

Loke turned to him, a soft smile (he briefly noted how it didn't look like the rueful smile accustomed to his face; he really was leaving without any regrets), warm and friendly, saying, "Take care of Lucy, Natsu."

The next thing he knew, he was holding back hot tears, smiling a tight, quivering smile at the fading man he treated as family his whole life. "D-don't you worry, L-Loke." He tried his best to give him the biggest energetic grin he could muster, ending up crooked from his trembling lips. "I'll take care of her, for the rest of my life."

That seemed like the only assurance Loke needed. He waved at them one last time before he disappeared completely, without any traces, leaving only darkness behind.

Natsu gathered the sobbing girl in his arms as he, too, let the tears flow. They cried for hours, holding each other close, Lucy's heartbreaking calls of Loke's name drowning every sound of their surroundings.

Because Loke's sacrifice was for them to obtain eternal happiness.

Because Natsu knew, deep inside, that he was going to live forever.

* * *

The 7-year old boy closed the door of his room behind him, careful not to make any sound. His tiny feet tiptoed down the stairs, orange hair changing from dark to light under different shadows and lighting. He always sneaked around this time, because it was one of the many times (many, _many_ times) that those two fooled around with each other, thinking he was sleeping soundly on his bed.

He poked his head from behind a wall, having full view of the scene in the kitchen. An 18-year old boy splashed water from the faucet at a soaking 17-year old girl, who tried to shield the incoming water with her arms, giggling as she did so. Both of them were engrossed in the water fight, oblivious to the hazel pair of eyes observing them.

He smiled at the sight. "Living forever is better when you're with the one you love," the boy said, looking at the bright smile on the blond's face (which, he told himself, could only be caused by the pink-haired boy and no one else), "Right, Mama?"

* * *

A little extra:

Lucy: Where'd you get all those romantic things you said that day (Loke-using-his-powers-for-Natsu-to-live-forever day)? They're too cheesy to actually come from someone like you.  
Natsu: Weeelllll, Loke might have taught me to say those things sometime during my childhood.

**notes:** Because Loke has always been Natsu's (this AU's Natsu) love advisor and teacher.  
**notes2:** That little extra came because I thought Natsu was pretty OOC in some stuff, so yeah. That would justify his OOC.  
**notes3:** How was that one-shot? Happy ending, eh? (That's pretty new to me)  
**notes4:** Review so the next chapter doesn't take _forever _(See the context I used there? lolol).


	11. shutting up

**notes:** I'm balancing _way_ too many hobbies. Add school work to that and it's hell.  
**notes2:** Add the Internet (Tumblr, Tinierme) and it's _utter chaos_.  
**notes3:** Anyways, at least I made it, neh?  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this story on their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (RandomMeowz, GoldenRoseTanya, LuckyLifeSmile, phantom, km28ave, Patrick Sparks, CupCakesYummeh, sas420, Prisma Honeydew aka TacosAnonymous Congrats on finding your password btw, Squirrel Singer, xXxSnowyDreamxXx, and greetingsfrommaars)! I couldn't thank you guys enough!  
**notes5:** Here's a fluffy chapter, just because I made you think for a moment that the last one-shot would have a sad ending.  
**notes6:** (11/25)  
**disclaimer:** Unless Hiro Mashima likes rainbows and unicorns and flowers and _is_ a girl, then I'm not him. Well, not that I like the things I mentioned much.  
**summary:** Because asking for peace and quiet didn't mean being given the silent treatment.

* * *

It seemed like a perfectly normal day. The sun was smiling down on the whole of Magnolia, not a hint of dark clouds in sight. The streets were lively with a buzz, people walking around and about. She was at home, a thick, romance novel in front of her already halfway through the end. A cup of tea lay beside the closed book, still steaming and hot. Nothing could actually ruin the serene atmosphere of the surroundings.

Except Natsu dragging Happy to her kitchen doing Mavis knows what.

Her kitchen utensils made a clanging sound as they hit the ground, the echo of metal dropping to wood ringing in her ears. Pans and pots were thrown in different directions, clattering every few moments. Spoons and forks made tiny sounds as they made contact with her floor, and she didn't even want to think about what the two idiots were using her knives for. All she knew was that her wall _wasn't a dartboard, dammit Natsu_.

It was the usual chaotic mess of things and she realized that she just couldn't put up with it that day.

The final straw was when the smoke alarm sounded.

Abruptly, she stood up, face hot with anger. "Natsu! Happy! Get in here _now_!" she shouted above the head-pounding alarm.

The pink-haired boy and the cat scrambled to walk towards the living room, looking apologetic and just plain scared, shaking from Lucy's imminent wrath on them. "Y-yes, Lucy?" Natsu asked, trembling, "A-and d-do you know how much we love you?" The blue cat floating beside him bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

The attempt to extinguish her anger was definitely not working. "Why do chaos and destruction always follow you two?" The duo shrank under her piercing gaze. "I only want peace and quiet for today, just so I could finish my book. Is that too much to ask?"

The boy mumbled sheepishly. "I just enjoy being here with you, Luce." He smiled at her, a bright glow around him. "I can't help it."

Lucy, in all her heated rage, mistook this as another device to avoid incurring her wrath, and to say the least, it did nothing to lessen her anger at the dragonslayer. "Natsu, I still need some time for myself. That's all I'm asking."

He looked crestfallen for a moment, but it was replaced with an indignant pout. "Fine," he said, the word clipped and tight, "I'll give you the space you want, _since you'd rather have that than my company_."

She felt guilty at hearing the hurt in the statement. "Natsu, wait!" But the boy had already disappeared from sight, jumping through the open window. Huffing, she told herself that there was nothing wrong with what she did.

Even though it certainly didn't feel like it.

* * *

She closed the book, having finished it only a few hours after the whole fight with Natsu. The sun hasn't even begun to set when she put the book down. Regret pooled through her insides because she realized that she didn't need to reprimand Natsu like that. She only needed to borrow a few hours, and he would've understood if she asked for it nicely. The book she just read only helped to make her feel more guilty. It was about a girl who said she wanted space from her lover (great, how convenient for it to be similar to her situation). When she finally missed the boy, he avoided her instead, and the relationship started to fall apart from there. In the end, through some circumstances, they reconnected their broken bond. It was a really weird book and even weirder about, coincidentally (a _big_ coincidence), being almost identical to her and Natsu's current misunderstanding (she refused to call it a fight, because she believed fights were major and caused fissures in a relationship, and no, the exchange they had that morning was nowhere near that, at least she hoped).

Looking at the clock, she decided to race towards the guild to catch up to Natsu and apologize. After all, she loved his company more than anything in the world. She couldn't stay mad at him for long and neither could he. That was how their relationship worked.

Skipping, she walked to Fairy Tail with the happy thought of having Natsu and his noise bring life to her apartment again.

* * *

"Natsu!"

The guild's wooden doors were pushed open with a creak, the blond looking around for the pink-haired mage. It wasn't long before she found him, sitting on one of the bar stools, his back facing her. Taking one last breath, she marched towards him, a strong intent to apologize around her.

He didn't even glance her way when she called his name. "Natsu," she said for more times than she could possible have, and yet no response came from him. He stayed staring ahead, face wiped of any emotion.

Distress started to overcome her. It was just like in that book. Like she had wanted, Natsu was giving her peace and quiet, but it was _too much because now Natsu wasn't even acknowledging her presence_. This rare silent treatment from him was not something she wanted to receive. "Natsu. . ." Even with a pleading voice, he didn't relent in not talking to her.

He looked at Happy, eyebrows furrowed. "Did you hear something, Happy?"

It felt like a big punch in the stomach. Not being able to stop the intense burning at the back of her eyes, she turned on her heel quickly and took heavy steps out of the guild.

* * *

Natsu removed the invisible earplugs from his ears, smiling at the wonderful, magical invention. "These are actually effective! I can't hear a single sound!" he exclaimed, excitement lighting his eyes, "I'll give these to Lucy so I can't disturb her anymore!"

"Lucy just went out the guild a few moments ago, crying," Mirajane said as she stood in front of him behind the counter, setting down glasses in need of polishing.

"What?" Natsu asked, "Why didn't I hear her?"

The barmaid pointed to the earplugs and that was all the answer he needed. Alarmed, Natsu stood hastily. "Then I have to go to her now!" There was only a trail of dust left behind by the rushing fire mage.

"They're so cute," Mirajane gushed, "Don't you think so, Happy?"

The blue cat, who was left behind by Natsu and didn't bother catching up to the dragonslayer, nodded his head. "Aye!" he chirped, "They liiiiike each other so much~"

* * *

She sat in a corner of her room, arms hugging her knees. The only sounds in her apartment were her sobs and sniffs. "I'm sorry, Natsu," she said, crying, "I don't want this."

"Luce?"

The familiar voice made her jump and less morose at the same time. She turned her gaze to the side to find Natsu, standing in front of her open window. "Natsu?" she called, hopeful.

The boy glanced at her direction, and his eyes immediately softened when they met with her tearful ones. He wasted no time to kneel in front of her, thumbs already wiping tears away. "Why are you crying, Lucy?"

She wrapped her arms around him tightly. "I'm sorry, Natsu," she said, sobbing into his chest, "I don't like it when we don't talk. I miss the noise you make, no matter how annoying it gets. I miss your company and I wouldn't choose to trade it for anything else. Please don't stay mad at me."

"I missed you, too, even if it was only for, like, 5 hours." He laughed softly, hands fingering strands of her hair. "I know I can be annoying sometimes, and I understand now how much you value your peace and quiet sooo. . ." He showed her a big bandaid cross. "You can put this on my mouth whenever you want me to keep my noise down. There's a smaller one for Happy, too."

He set it down on her palms, and she looked at it, a soft smile on her face. "So, it's a nicer way to shut you up?"

"Pretty much," Natsu said, "There are also these noise-canceling earplugs that I wanted to give you, but I left them back at the guild."

That clicked something in her head. "So that's why you weren't acknowledging me!" The boy only looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I thought you were ignoring me, but really, you just had the earplugs on! That would make so much more sense. I feel really stupid—"

And he cut her off with a kiss.

When he pulled back, she said, timidly, "That was a nice way to shut me up."

Natsu flashed him a rare smirk. "You talk a lot, so I feel like I'll be shutting you up often."

"I don't mind it at all."

And she shut up every thought in his head when she mashed her lips with his.

* * *

Extra:

Natsu: *holding the book Lucy read* I should seriously consider burning this book. It's been giving Lucy weird ideas.

**notes:** I feel like I'm unconsciously preferring both of them being cut off by the other with a kiss.  
**notes2:** That's pretty rude.  
**notes3:** And cute. But still rude.  
**notes4:** What do you think? Please don't shut up and tell me ;)


	12. prank

**notes:** Happy Halloween, everyone! Here's your treat (or trick trololol)!  
**notes2:** I actually have gone trick-or-treating earlier. Did any of you do, too?  
**notes3:** Ha! First Holiday-appropriate one-shot. I was so motivated to write it, since it's in season.  
**notes4:** It's by some sheer luck that Halloween falls on my Update Day.  
**notes5:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (Curiosity- Or n0t, ThePartyHasEntered, Yuni-sama, QueenP19, GoldenRoseTanya, phantom, Prisma Honeydew, km28ave, Flower of Hell, and cely13)! Thank you, thank you, thank you!  
**notes6:** This is the second fluffy one-shot in a row, I'm getting softer (Orrrr I'm preparing you for an AU *hint hint*)  
**notes7:** (12/25)  
**disclaimer:** Did Fairy Tail ever have a Halloween special? I don't think so.  
**summary:** Because Halloween was the perfect holiday to scare someone to death.

* * *

The streets of Magnolia were already decorated with cobwebs and carved pumpkins days before the actual event. Hair-raising ornaments such as realistic vampire statues and zombie figures were displayed in almost every front yard. Blankets portraying floating ghosts and fake, cherry red blood were spread across the city, the former hung from the ceiling and the latter sprayed on walls. Everyone seemed to be ready for Halloween.

Like the whole of Magnolia, Fairy Tail was also abuzz with preparations for their own event: a haunted house. Black cloth surrounded the whole perimeter of the guild, so as to no one saw what was inside except members of Fairy Tail. Corners of the guild were adorned with plastic (although looking very much like the real thing) bats, spiders and fake eyes that seemed to be looking through your very soul with a single eye contact (but, of course, they don't). The main floor has been cleared out of chairs and tables, and has been rearranged to form a maze, with hidden passages and hidden doors leading to something scary or an entryway for the 'scarers' (mostly guild members) to jump out of. The whole guild practically felt like Halloween all around and they couldn't be any more proud.

In his designated corner of the guild, Natsu was busy putting up finishing touches on the Halloween decorations with Happy, while Lucy stood leaning on the wall, quietly observing them. The air was silent and it _never_ went silent and that bothered him, because Lucy was unusually quiet and not nagging at them to hurry up so they could head home. He spared a glance at her, seeing a thoughtful look on her face. "Oi, Luce!" he called her, snapping her out of whatever reverie she was in, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Natsu," she said, but there was a slight tightness in her voice, and only knowing her for as well as he did would let him notice, "Really. It's just that—" Her arms hugged her body, as if to suppress shudders. "Everyone's done a great job with turning the guild into a haunted house. It creeps me out."

He noted the uncomfortable look on her face—the creased eyebrows, the troubled eyes, the small frown on her lips—and a playful grin crossed his face. "You're scared, aren't you?"

The blond's face exploded into different shades of red in embarrassment. "Wh-what?!" she sputtered, eyes wide, "N-no, I'm not!"

"Oh, really?"

From behind his back, he threw a rubber spider at her, to which she screeched in fright. Her hands repeatedly brushed off different parts of her body, the spider falling to the wooden floor softly. After getting over the initial shock, she directed her most heated glare at the boy. "_Natsu_," she said, stressing every syllable and making it all the more threatening, "You better have a good explanation to why you did that, or I swear I'll punch you in the face."

Still snickering, he said, "You should've seen your face, Lucy." He imitated Lucy's scared expression, exaggerating just a bit, but still succeeding in angering the blond.

Suppressing his laughter, he wiped tears from his eyes as he said, "I was just messing with you." This didn't appease Lucy. "And it's not my fault you're scared easily."

All he saw was a fist coming his way and the next thing he knew, he was on the floor, looking up at a very annoyed Stellar Mage who stomped off after.

A laugh sounded near his right side, and that laugh was too low to be Happy's or Lucy's (Lucy won't be laughing at him for a while, he briefly thought). He turned his head to the direction of the sound, only to see a black-haired mage gazing down on him with an amused smirk on his face.

"What do you want, Stripper?" he asked, peeved that his rival (slash best friend) has seen him in such a defeated state, and by Lucy no less (don't get him wrong, he had long acknowledged that his mate was too damn strong when she was angry).

"I'm not here to fight, Natsu." He raised a skeptical brow at that, because Gray _always_ struck up a match with him whenever possible. "I'm here to give you advice."

The boy on the floor picked himself up with a groan (though he tried his best to hide it, he just knew the ice bastard probably heard him), stretching his arms while he was at it. Completely back on his feet, he answered Gray's peculiar offer. "I don't know," he said, unsure, "Last time I took your advice, Lucy didn't talk to me for a week."

Gray crossed his arms over his bare chest, a little indignant. "Who has the girlfriend here?"

"Not you."

With that remark, the ice mage reddened and bristled. "I-I'm just waiting for the right time to ask!"

"Suuuurrrreeee," Natsu said, unconvinced, "It's not like Lyon's going to ask Juvia soon."

"What? He is?" Gray snapped, but managed to take a hold of himself as he almost lost track of what he came for. "As I said, I will give you advice and _you will listen to it_, got that?"

"What's in it for me?" Natsu asked, remaining suspicious of his rival's intentions (ulterior motives, might he add). And besides, he never did like taking orders from the bastard.

A twisted smirk crept its way to the raven's face, a smirk that just told Natsu that what Gray had in mind was nothing short of devious and scheming. It would be a lie to say it didn't creep him out just a bit.

"Utter amusement."

* * *

_"You like pranking Lucy, right? Well, she seems scared of every fake ghost she sees on the street—you noticed that, too, didn't you?—and it's __**Halloween**__ in a few days. We also have a __**haunted house**__ on that day. You would have to be an idiot not to piece all that together."_

* * *

Natsu walked beside Lucy, fists clenching and unclenching in nervousness yet insides burning with excitement and thrill. The spooky Halloween atmosphere was in the chilly, autumn air, even more frightening under a pitch black, starless sky. As if it wasn't cliché enough, the moon was at its fullest phase, turning whatever nonexistent were-people were unlucky enough to be around into werewolf beasts.

Lucy noticeably shivered with every scarily-decorated house they passed on their walk to the guild. He had, with some persuading, successfully coaxed Lucy into entering the Fairy Tail haunted house, but only _if_ he comes with her inside. Guilt was swallowing him whole but he couldn't deny the fact that he was _looking forward to it_. Maybe it was his pride talking, his want to get a little payback at Lucy so intense at the chance presented to him, his pranking sensors bleeping excitedly.

His blond mate edged closer to him, and, after some time, hugged his arm and shivered visibly, which, he noted, was not only because she wore thin clothing. "I'm only doing this because I felt sorry for what I did to you a few days ago," she murmured against his skin, burrowing her face on his shoulder.

And at that instant, he just wanted to hold her in his arms and _not_ proceed with the plan because she was _scared out of her boots_ and what he was about to do would _make her break down in fright_. He suddenly felt sick with himself.

"H-how about—" he started uncertainly, halting his steps and, with him, Lucy's, "How about we don't go to the guild anymore?" He dragged her towards the opposite direction, towards her house, earning himself a puzzled look. "Let's just watch a scary movie, okay?"

The blond refused to move any further from her spot, even with his vehement pull. "Why not, Natsu?" she asked, weirdly brave, "Why can't we go? I want to see the result of all the hard work the guild put into this!" As if she realized the reason, her eyes widened for a second before narrowing, lips curling into a teasing smirk. "Are _you_ scared, Natsu?"

_Don't be such a wuss, Natsu._

As if his mind changed its decision, he gripped her hand and stomped off to the guild, his pride controlling his actions. "I was only kidding," Lucy said, giggling beside him, but he proceeded to ignore it with a new thought in his mind.

No way in hell was he losing to Gray.

* * *

Even from the outside, the haunted house looked _very_ authentic and several people lost their courage even just by _looking_ at it. It looked dark and ominous and Natsu just _knew_ that Laxus was behind all the lightning. Hard rain poured on them and they knew Juvia was the creator. Sure, he's seen the outside preparations before, but he had never seen it come together like this. It was _amazing_.

But it being ultra-amazing meant extra-terrifying for Lucy. She looked up to the house, wide eyed and shaking, then tentatively hid behind Natsu. Guilt was coming back, but pride was easily overpowering it. "I can do this," Lucy began to chant to herself, "There's no need to get scared. Natsu's with me, right?" Their eyes met when he looked over his shoulder at the mention of his name, scared brown eyes meeting just-barely-hidden-guilt-filled eyes. "Yeah, Natsu will be there beside me the whole time. As long as Natsu's with me, I won't get scared." She took hold of his arm again, looking up to him with a smile. "I'm not scared to go in anymore, because I know you'll protect me from the monsters inside."

He swallowed a huge lump in his throat at the sincere trust in her eyes. This was a huge torture for him and he was starting to second guess whether everything was worth doing or not. But, he told himself, he's made it this far. He can't back out anymore. "Yeah." He coughed, trying to conceal his raspy voice. "Yeah, let's go." And together, they took steps towards the large wooden door.

Natsu wondered if he made the right decision.

* * *

The momentary silence after they entered literally lasted for only a moment before monsters, ghouls and corpses started appearing from all sides. On impulse, Natsu wrapped his arms around Lucy protectively, intent on shielding her from the things before he realized that they weren't real (they looked horrifyingly lifelike). Lucy was screaming and shaking and _just what kind of hell did he enter?_

"Lucy," he called, softly, "I'm here, remember?"

Lucy gave him a small, crooked smile. "Right, right." She untangled his arms from around her. "I don't have to be scared," she said, more to reassure herself than to actually tell him, "I'm not scared."

Just as the question was at the tip of his tongue—_Luce, are you sure you still wanna go? Because I'm not so sure myself_—she pulled his hand with her as she ran across the dark hall they were in. "I'm not so scared anymore, knowing you're there." Her smile was so bright, and he just _knew_ that his was weird and awkward and crooked because why did he even decide to put Lucy through something that won't make her happy?

He wondered why he didn't turn back either.

* * *

Twenty ghosts, twenty-five monsters, and thirty corpses later, Lucy was still standing (just standing, he told himself, not shaking or trembling or screaming), looking as brave as ever, and behind her, he just looked tired. Tired and exhausted.

They've taken a break from walking (how the hell did everyone manage to make the guild's inside _so freaking huge_? He should know, because _he was part of the prep team_, wasn't he?) and convenient for him, the spot he decided to stand on happened to have a _secret door_ behind it. Imagine his fright (this haunted house was _really_ getting to him) when a pair of hands grabbed at him, one around his torso and the other covering his mouth. His muffled sound of surprise didn't even reach the ears of an oblivious Lucy.

* * *

As the door closed, darkness engulfing him and the mysterious figure with only little light, he elbowed his captor on the stomach. Hard.

Behind him, Gray hissed and cursed, bent over in pain. "Dammit Natsu! Didn't you know it was me?"

Natsu's lips curled in a smirk. "I did, Droopy Eyes. That's payback."

The ice mage brought his face closer, looking ready for a fight. "Payback for what? Who's the one helping you here, huh?"

Sparks of electricity sent through daggers were about to appear just when the place was fully lit, showing an unamused Erza, who was wearing a witch costume, in front of them. "Are you two going to work together or not? We won't be able to successfully execute this prank if you don't cooperate with each other."

A synchronized response of 'Aye, Erza!' was heard from the two before a thought came to Natsu. "Wait, why are you agreeing with scaring Lucy? Doesn't that go against some 'moral crap' you always say?" He shrank under the glare she sent him.

"It's Halloween," she said, after regaining her normal demeanor (and sparing Natsu), a small smirk on her face, "It's completely acceptable."

His mouth opened to speak, just as a Demon Mirajane (literally, with the dark clothing and the sinister aura that were all part of the costume) appeared out of nowhere and dragged him with her, chattering something about getting dressed in his costume and being completely unrecognizable. His two only lifelines were busy smirking at his suffering.

* * *

He pinched his scaly cheek once again, still amazed at the lifelike transformation. He was a _dragon_ (something he had always wanted to be! Well, except that half of his features were still human) but he was terrifying and he thought deeply if he even wanted Lucy to see him like that. Even if it was the intended (and totally justified) reaction, he didn't know if he could handle her being scared of him, of the true form he wanted for himself.

"Stop moping around, Natsu," Gray hissed beside him, "Look, Lucy's coming!" And before Natsu could glare at him ("No, I'm not moping, you bastard!") he had disappeared in the shadows of the darkness, going to who knows where. The fire mage let him off, knowing he had bigger problems than the ice mage.

True to Gray's warning, he had caught sight of Lucy's blond hair from around a corner, only meters away from him. It was only a matter of time before she reached him and he would have to do it. It was only then, knowing that the imminent task was inching slowly yet fast at the same time, did the guilt hit him full force. His chest tightened with anxiety with his twisting insides. Pulse quickening with his racing heartbeat, he could feel sweat forming on his forehead and trailing down his face. Did he really want to continue with this, even with the knowledge that Lucy would be even more scared? Didn't he swear not to hurt her and to protect her from any harm? Wasn't he doing the exact opposite?

Unfortunately, he had no time to think deeper into it as Lucy reached the hidden door he was hiding behind in. Now or never.

As a last minute decision, he pushed the door down, succeeding with scaring Lucy right off the bat. Without even trying to be scary—no baring of fangs, no showing of claws, not even a creepy smile—Lucy had already started to scream and cry. What she did next completely mortified him.

She called for his name. And he wasn't there to protect her.

"Natsu!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping for someone who could never come. "Natsu, save me!"

Her eyes were screwed shut in fright. "I'm so scared, Natsu!" Her every call of his name was like a stab to the heart. "Natsu, where are you?"

His little resistance snapped when she fell to her knees and sobbed, cowering from him. His body moved on its own to comfort her, a natural habit it always did. Fingers combing her hair, arms around her figure, his lips softly cooing the distressed girl. At first, she resisted against his embrace ("Why are you hugging me? You're not Natsu!") and it was then that he repeatedly, regrettably, said that he _was_ Natsu.

He didn't even worry about the consequences of his admittance later on, or how he technically _failed_ the prank, he just knew that he couldn't stand seeing Lucy so scared and fragile. He didn't think of anything else.

* * *

"He is so whipped."

From behind another hidden door, Gray watched the scene with a smirking Erza and a Mirajane holding a video camera on her hands.

"Mira, did you get all that?" Erza asked the barmaid.

"Yup," Mirajane chirped as she turned back to the couple, "Poor Natsu could've backed out while he still had a chance."

"Yeah, sucks for him," Gray observed the panicking dragonslayer with an amusement for his suffering, "The prank wasn't for Lucy. It never was. It has always been for him."

"Lucy's a really great actress," Erza said, observing the almost authentic-looking tears pouring from the girl's eyes, which were, if one knew, fake. "She should do another play with me sometime."

"This is Lucy's payback for Natsu," the ice mage smirked, "Because of what he did two weeks ago."

Mirajane gave him a puzzled expression. "Weren't you the one who told Natsu to do that?"

"Brilliant, right?" The black-haired mage seemed proud of his handiwork. "I've created a win-win situation for myself. If Natsu backs out of this, I could tease him about. If he doesn't, I could still tease him about how Lucy won't be talking to him because of it." He started to laugh, a little maniacal (not to mention, _way_ out of character) at his rival's near (ensured) embarrassment.

The two watched the cackling man in the background with a weirded look on their faces.

"I'm starting to think we've been focusing on Natsu and Lucy's relationship too much instead of his," Erza said as she looked at Gray (still laughing like an idiot, probably way too much than what was really necessary) with raised eyebrows.

"Don't worry." The barmaid/official guild matchmaker smiled as she replied. "We'll work on his love life next."

* * *

**notes:** Because Gray was the guild's prank master, but he's no match for Mirajane's nosy, matchmaking ploys.  
**notes2:** It's so Halloween-themed that I like it!  
**notes3:** Did _you_? Tell me, or it will haunt you forever.


	13. luck

**notes:** I have no words.  
**notes2:** Well, to be fair, this one-shot is a hell of a lot longer than any one-shot I've written.  
**notes3:** And it's an AU (which means it's double the _work_).  
**notes4:** It doesn't help that I actually prioritized school work, then my drawing hobby, then this because I had multiple Writer's Blocks writing this one-shot.  
**notes5:** Yay for italics-overuse (again).  
**notes6:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (xXxAddicted2ChocolatexXx, QueenP19, Yuni-sama, beatress, Prisma Honeydew, km28ave, xxJcc161xx, GoldenRoseTanya, ThePartyHasEntered, Natsu-the-Salamander, Chocolatluver4ever, LuckyLifeSmile, Maddy, greetingsfrommaars, and LinkLover123)! I read all your reviews and I just smile like an idiot, really.  
**disclaimer:** If I owned Fairy Tail, I wouldn't make NaLu fans die of happiness from Mashima's ship teases. I would make them canon immediately (and that takes away much of the excitement).  
**summary:** Because when he met her, that was when he started to run out of luck.

* * *

The rain poured steadily on the city, wetting the cement of the pavement. Still, people walked in different directions, continuing life as usual, never minding anyone else. He stayed away as much as he can, hiding under a maroon hood with his hands tucked inside pockets. That way, no one knew about him, about his story, about his pyromania.

As he walked along a deserted sidewalk, still invisible to society, lightning flashed threateningly in the sky, light reflecting off his dark eyes. The rain poured harder on him, as if nature itself was against him.

An orb of light appeared in front of him, and before he could fully comprehend what _exactly_ it was, a small fairy popped out, her blond hair dry even with the drops of rain showering on her. Her wings fluttered excitedly, glittering, and he couldn't miss the mischievous shine in her brown eyes as she spoke.

"Hello, I'm Lady Luck, and I'm here to give you the worst luck as punishment."

* * *

"So you're saying that you'll make me unlucky to punish me?"

The soaking boy has settled with sitting on a bench, knowing that standing would just tire him out more. The rain wouldn't cease either way.

"Yup," Lady Luck answered, excitement out of place, "Unlucky until the sentence is over."

The boy looked up at her sharply. "For _what_?"

The fairy's brown eyes clouded over, a veil being pulled down to guard her emotions. "You know very well what you did, Natsu."

Natsu looked off to the side, pouting. "I—I don't. . . I don't remember much—"

"Save it," Lady Luck snapped, "I won't consider explanations, since I only listen to Master's orders."

"But, really," Natsu tried reasoning with her again, "I—I can't remember that time—Dammit, Lucy, will you stop this freaking rain?!"

The rain suddenly stopped, the floating fairy staring at him in shock. "W-what did you just call me?"

Natsu jolted, slightly afraid that her wrath would convert to flurries of unluckiness. "I-I accidentally combined 'luck' and 'lady', so I said 'Lucy'," he explained shakily, "I-I'm sorry if it's not your name."

The fairy flushed, shyly looking down on the ground. "F-fairies don't have names."

"They don't?" Natsu asked, confused, just before his face brightened with a grin. "Then, from now on, your name will be Lucy."

She's barely met him for an hour, and she was already blushing at his thoughtful gesture. Making him unlucky wouldn't be as enjoyable as she thought.

* * *

He regretted taking it lightly. He regretted taking _her_ lightly. With the cute face and shining brown eyes, he would've thought she was nice. Turns out, she had her own love for mischief that could rival his and he wasn't enjoying it one bit.

That morning, she made his milk chunky and that meant having a dry, unfinished cereal.

Even if he swore he took his keys with him, when he dug for them in his pocket hours after, _they weren't there and he was sure it was her fault_."

When he took his coins out, they all magically fell from his hand and rolled into a strategically-placed sewer grate.

She made him fail his Math test (okay, maybe that was his fault).

And he couldn't walk for 10 meters without stepping on some dog's crap. "What the hell?! Is _every_ dog crapping on my way?" he had exclaimed in frustration.

She would always appear after every stroke of unluckiness, laughing at him for making a fool of himself and having a part in it. That's how he knew she was always with him, maybe invisible to his eye, but still there to bring him his hourly dose of unluckiness.

After her last feat—bringing a wind to blow his $5 bill away—and a laughing fit before disappearing, Natsu had just had it with him not knowing where exactly she was and her appearing just to make fun of him. It was getting on his nerves. That wasn't fair. "Lucy!" he screamed, "Come out here and show yourself!"

Only a breeze of the wind answered him back. He took that as a no.

He slipped an admiring expression on his face. "I need to see your beautiful face." A scoff was heard and he knew the lie wasn't working.

Reaching his breaking point, he yelled to the sky. "You're a coward!" he shouted, "Coward, coward, coward! Because you know luck can't bring me down!"

Right then, Lucy appeared in front of him, a sickly sweet smile on her face. Uh-oh. He gulped. Oh, Mavis, what did he just do?

"Challenge accepted, Natsu."

He was _screwed_.

* * *

Saying that the following week was a crappy seven days would be an understatement. It was _hell_.

It rained the whole week, giving him a nasty cold and an even nastier fever for three days (breaking his no-sickness-since-birth streak. Yes, the whole unlucky thing was _that_ bad). His supplies chose that _convenient_ moment to run out, even if he just recently restocked them.

When he came back to school, he only learned from a classmate teasing him that he had missed a _very important test_ and was bound to fail his grade (not that he wasn't already on the verge to).

Because he was terribly sick, he missed 3 days of work on his part-time job, meaning he won't be able to pay his monthly rent off.

And, for the icing of the cake of bad luck, now, instead of 10 meters, it was every _5 freaking meters_ that he stepped on a mix of gum and crap. It was bad enough that he stepped on _poo_, but now they _stuck to his shoes, too_.

It was misfortune on top of misfortune and he found himself _surrendering_ (he had never surrendered before. Lucy was _that_ bad). And to add insult to injury, she was there the _entire_ time to laugh at him. She stayed hovering beside him, just waiting for the next karmic action happened, _planned by her_. He thought, for more times than he'd liked, that it was better when she wasn't with him the whole time. But (there always seemed to be a but), strange feelings of glee and satisfaction filled him whenever he heard her laugh, even if it was at his expense. He couldn't explain it, but he knew he'd be willing to make a fool of himself if it meant making her laugh.

After the last crap-gum-mix-stepping, he turned to the blond, pleading and drained. "Can't you tone the bad luck down a bit, Lucy?"

"You challenged me, Natsu," the fairy smugly said, "It can't be helped."

"You can't possibly make a soon-to-be homeless failure any worse."

Her lips curled in a sadistic smirk, and he regretted ever opening his mouth.

"No way. I'm just getting started."

* * *

And that's when her wings disappeared.

It happened so suddenly. The wind whipped her hair around her face, the sensation of falling more frightening than anything else. She didn't know if she was screaming, but her throat felt raw moments after and she just couldn't speak, mouth agape in shock. As dread spread through her body, cold and numbing, only one thought ran in her mind.

Stupid her for draining her magic power just because Natsu challenged her abilities.

The fall never came. She landed not on hard pavement, but on something warm and soft. Her eyes shut closed, she still felt movement, her body hitting said warm and soft thing a couple of times. Only when the world stilled—no dizzying movements, not bumping into soft, warm objects—did she crack one eye open.

The trail of disturbed grass told her that they've rolled down the hill they were walking on just seconds ago.

And all that time, she was enclosed protectively inside Natsu's cupped hands, held close to his chest.

The boy peered at her closely, concern marking his features. "Are you okay, Luce?" When she nodded slightly, he sighed in relief and gave her a big grin. "Good."

But the fall was only one of her problems.

She scrambled out of his palms, earning a puzzled look from the boy. He thought she was falling out of his hands so he caught her every time she tried to jump. Still, she did her best to get off his hands, because the disappearing of her wings wasn't the only phase in the transformation.

Before she could successfully set one foot off Natsu's palms, white light had already begun to engulf her.

* * *

The light subsided, and suddenly everything felt smaller around her. The grass stalls were only tickling her back when they could've swatted her away with little wind before. She opened her eyes for the second time, meeting someone's chest.

Natsu's arms were around her.

Suddenly, she thanked Mavis because at least she wasn't _naked_ this time. Because she would've blushed more at the contact.

"Luce, why do you seem bigger?" the boy asked, "Even your che—"

"S-shut up!" She cut him off before he could continue any further and say something that would embarrass her more. "It's because I _am_ bigger, you idiot!"

Natsu looked at her like he wanted more explanation, and as her blush disappeared—as she regained the ability to feel anything other than embarrassment—she met it with a deadpan stare.

The boy continued to give her a puzzled look. "Aren't you going to explain to me what just happened?"

Stare.

"Aren't you going to stop embracing me before I could call it sexual harassment?"

As if only realizing their intimate position, he retracted his arms back, flustered and embarrassed. Lucy hurriedly got up and brushed her blue skirt, saying a terse "Let's talk at your house" before walking quickly to reach the path they've fallen from.

Behind her, Natsu stood up more slowly, showing no haste in moving to follow her. "Thank you for saving me, Natsu," he said in his mock girly voice, clasping his hands in front of him as he batted his eyelashes. "Yeah, you're welcome, Luce!" he shouted towards where said girl was, but whether she heard or not, she made no indication.

* * *

The boy seated across her continued to laugh, dragging out longer than she would've liked. Her eye twitched in annoyance.

"So," Natsu wiped tears from his eyes, "you're telling me that you're completely human for five days because you overused your luck powers?"

Her jaw tightened. "Yes," she replied, taut.

The boy exploded into full-blown laughter again, _at her expense_, and if she had her powers, she would've made him land face first on dog poo. She could already sense the oncoming sentence.

"Serves you right!"

And there it was, the salt on her wounds. She crossed her arms in front of her chest (she was pretty busty as a human) and glared at him. "This isn't as funny as you think, Natsu."

"C'mon, lighten up, Luce!" He grinned. "It's the perfect break from your 'duties'. It's a pretty good break for me, too."

She reconsidered it, and she decided it wasn't such a bad idea.

* * *

On the walk to the mall (because, obviously, Lucy had a _lot _of clothes), they came across a commotion in the middle of the street. Bits and scraps of metal spread even outside the circle of nosy people, and the scene gave the two of them a rough summary of what is happening. At the sight of the car crash, Lucy shook her head sullenly.

"What's the matter, Luce?" he asked her, worried.

"Natsu, you know that for every good, there is bad, right?" He nodded his head, still not understanding the connection between the two questions. "My family, Fairy Tail, is tight enemies with dark fairies."

"You're not a dark fairy?" he asked in an incredulous way that he knew would peeve Lucy.

She turned to her sharply, a silent murdering aura around her. "Dark fairies use their powers to play with innocent people."

He gave her a deadpan look, half-serious and half-not. "That's what you do."

"But I don't harm or kill people, Natsu!"

And it was true. Sure, she made his life miserable with mild sickness and failing marks (mostly just adding to his already low marks), but she never once did something that brought him harm. She was kind. She wouldn't make a car crash into a post using her powers.

"I'm sorry," he said, suddenly ashamed of himself, "You're nothing like those dark fairies."

He tugged at her hand, away from the car crash, and firmly berated himself with lumping Lucy with evil fairies.

After all, he wouldn't like her so much if she was bad.

* * *

On the night of the fifth day, they sat on the roof of Natsu's house, staring at the city lights far away. The breezy air blew her hair back, a small portion of her hair tied to the side with a blue ribbon. She tried it once, and when Natsu said it looked good on her, she decided to keep it (she didn't know where the want to impress Natsu came from, but it was just there, lingering and strong).

"You know, Luce," Natsu started, voice flowing with the wind, "this was the best week of my life, honestly."

She watched as he gazed at the sight ahead, his lips having a slight upturn. She wouldn't admit it, but it was the best week of her life, too. Not even being a fairy could bring her as much happiness as she felt throughout her time of being human, with Natsu.

Lying down on the roof's slope to stare at the stars, he rested his head on his hands. "Aside from not having bad luck," he inclined his head towards her with a bright smile, "I found a best friend."

Heat crept up to her face at the intensity of his unexplainable stare, and she found herself thankful that the darkness of the night hid her blush.

_I found someone else._

She thought of saying but didn't, because even she didn't know that someone—it wasn't a best friend—but she just knew it was someone more special.

The wind blew on her once more, her skin prickling with goosebumps from the cold. Tomorrow was soon—too soon—that she could already feel the gloom in her fingertips. "Natsu, tomorrow—"

"—will be fine, Luce." The toothy grin didn't leave his face. "You're my best friend, but don't let our friendship stop you from doing your job." Then, the grin grew tighter, seeming more forced than natural. "You still have to punish me for what I did, right?"

The topic they've been avoiding has been brought back to the surface. She turned to him, giving him a look containing a mix of anger and sympathy. "Why did you burn the forest down, Natsu?" she said, soft above the sound of the wind.

The air blew over, filling in the silence between them. Natsu stayed quiet for moments, conflicted and uncertain. When his eyes turned to her with mild determination, she knew he had already trusted her so much, trusted her enough to tell. "Luce, will you believe me if I tell you I don't know the reason myself?" He paused to wait for her answer, which she couldn't give. "One moment I was walking through the forest, the next everything was burning."

An image of the fire flashed in her eyes, and she willed herself to push the painful memory down. Instead, she focused on his contorted expression and clenched fists. "I-I don't know what came over me. It was like I wasn't the one in control, like—like I was only a tool."

Suddenly, everything clicked in her head. Her eyes darkened with anger and tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. Now that she finally knew Natsu (_him_ and not the profile that she was given about the destructive boy who burned the forest down with twisted amusement on his face) she could believe that he would never do something like that intentionally. Natsu was impulsive, destructive, and a bit of an idiot, but he was sweet in his own way, nice, loving. He would never burn a forest down just because he enjoyed it. She refused to believe Natsu would _hurt_—

"Lucy?" Natsu's soft voice brought her back to the breezy night. "Did—did anyone die. . . because of the fire I did?"

Guilt reflected in his black eyes and Lucy wanted to tell him that he shouldn't feel it, that he didn't need to be punished like this, because it wasn't his fault. For the sake of Natsu's already heavy conscience, it was the least she could do. With a tight smile, she said, "No, Natsu, you didn't kill anyone."

* * *

She stood, defiant, in front of the silent fairies, before Master Makarov and the whole of what's left of Fairy Tail, without those who got killed by the fire. The gathering occurred in the most serene part of the forest, Fairy Tail's holy ground. The trees and flowers remained undisturbed, alive and beautiful in contrast to their scorched surroundings.

"_Master_," her voice showed that she was nearing her patience's end, "Natsu was used by the dark fairies to launch an attack on Fairy Tail! He's _innocent_!"

The short leader of the fairies kept a stern, morose face. No fairy dared speak in between them. "My child, I don't doubt that you're telling me the truth," he chided her softly, "but sadly, Natsu is guilty under Fairy Law." The master's eyes reflected sincere sadness for the injustice, but there was also helplessness at his inability to do anything about it. "It was by his hands that the forest was burned down, along with some of our family."

"But, Master—!"

"I'm sorry," Makarov cut in, "but Natsu must continue to be punished."

"I don't think Luck can handle the job anymore," a snarky voice came from the crowd of fairies.

She turned to him, an intense glare on her face. "What's that supposed to mean, Lightning?"

A fairy with blond hair and a lightning-shaped scar walked towards the center, leaving a parted crowd in his wake. His coat hung from his shoulders, his arms crossed in front of his chest. "It means I should take over punishing this Natsu."

"Master," another firm voice from the crowd cut in, "are you sure it's advisable letting a dark fairy handle this?"

Lightning glared at her. "Mind your own business, Titania." His eyes lit up with manic, twisted glee. "And you have no right to call me a dark fairy."

"But you _killed_ one of our—!"

"Enough!" Master, increased in size, bellowed at them. Everything fell silent. He turned to her. "Luck, I don't want to admit it, but it seems you have special feelings for the boy," she pinked at that, choosing to look at the ground instead, "and I know it would be too painful for you to punish him."

"Master, I—"

"This is for your own feelings, Lucy," the master said, kindly, and she barely had time to be shocked—the leader of the fairies had just called her _Lucy_, the name Natsu had given her—before Makarov's absolute word has passed and echoed through the fairies.

"From this day on, Lady Luck is relieved from her duty of punishing Natsu Dragneel, and Lightning is hereby assigned to take her place."

Cold dread filled her from head to toe, blanching at the future. Natsu's hell was about to start.

* * *

Dark clouds cast a shadow overhead, foreboding and ominous. He compared it to when he first met Lucy, except that the sky was darker today, and that there was no rain, only lightning. He figured it wasn't any better.

Thunder shook the ground, the vibration rattling under his feet. Even so, he continued walking.

It has been days since he last saw Lucy, and that was the day she turned back to being a fairy. No bouts of unluckiness happened to him for the past few days, and he was starting to miss them, because they were the only things connecting him and Lucy. The lightning storm was the first bad thing to occur to him that week, and he found himself being grateful. It meant Lucy was there, probably punishing him for what he did, but still there with her bubbly presence. Just the thought comforted him.

"Lucy," he called to her softly, receiving no answer, "I think this punishment's lighter than me not seeing you in days." It seemed like he was talking more to himself than to the fairy herself. "That's torture." He laughed to himself, humorless. "I'm starting to miss you a lot."

Another lightning bolt struck too close for comfort.

He kept to the sidewalk and walked, wishing he'd mess up already so Lucy could appear to laugh at him.

* * *

"Lightning!"

She zoomed towards the smirking fairy, smile too wide not to be maniacal. He had always been a sadist.

"Here to see your little human boyfriend suffer, Luck?" The sick mirth in his eyes angered her more.

A flash of lightning struck nearby, and she looked in horror as it only missed Natsu by an inch. Her enraged eyes snapped at Lightning. "You bastard," she gritted out.

"You're all talk, Luck." Lightning sneered at her. "Spunky, but weak." Another flash lit up both their faces and the lightning barely managed to _not hit him_.

Her heart pounded in her chest and tears burned the back of her eyes. That was too close. It was only a strand away that she almost lost Natsu. "No, please," she begged him, "Stop this, Laxus!"

He turned to her so fast she briefly thought it would break his neck, but she didn't have time to dwell on it as his hand clamped around her neck, tight around her windpipe that _she couldn't breathe_. She tried clawing at his arm to release herself, but it was to no avail. Lightning's strong, vice-like grip on her throat remained. "That's not my name, _Lucy_," he spat at her, venom coating every word, "You might appreciate being called names by your boyfriend, but I don't." An idea seemed to strike him, and as a look of absolute amusement crossed his face, she dreaded Natsu's safety. Laxus was planning on doing something.

"Why don't we see just how much voltage Natsu's body could take, eh?"

Her heart stopped for a moment at the words, breath hitching in her throat. _Natsu!_

She barely had time to squeeze her eyes shut when everything was engulfed in bright light.

* * *

When her eyelids fluttered open, the surroundings that welcomed her appeared blurred, and she had to give her eyes a few moments to adjust. The next sight she saw was a wide-eyed Lightning looking down at his hands.

"My lightning. . ." he said softly, incredulously, "I can't—I can't summon lightning."

After gasping for air, she turned to him, a hard look on her face. "How _unlucky_," she said, mocking.

The blond, lightning fairy was onto her in a flash. "You—!" His eyes burned with rage. "What the hell did you do?!"

She smirked at him, proud at being able to render the _great_ Lightning powerless. "I used my magic to give you the misfortune of losing your power, forever," she said, "So you won't be able to hurt Natsu."

At that moment, Lightning's body began to light up. "You bitch," he bit out. She was just starting to rejoice about the fact that she defeated Lightning when he laughed, wild and maniacal. It sent chills down her spine. "Because of you, I'll be human forever," he said, eyes containing a dark light, "but _you_," he pointed at her, "you will die."

_Fairies are not allowed to interfere with another fairy's magic._

Lightning's whole body started to glow. His wings had already disappeared, and he was already increasing in size. "Goodbye, Lady Luck," he said to her with a sneer, "Be sure to say goodbye to your boyfriend." And he was enveloped in the light, teleported somewhere far away, where he can't disturb Natsu's peace.

* * *

The thunderstorm cleared away in a snap, the dark clouds disappearing as if they were never there. He only had time to ponder over that before seeing Lucy flying above him, serious and melancholic. The excitement came bursting inside him. "Luce!" he shouted, holding out his palms for her to land on, "Where were you these last few days?" He immediately scrapped the idea of saying _I missed you_ after because it was too cheesy.

Lucy stayed unusually quiet, indicating no signs that she was going to answer him anytime soon. Worried now, he asked her again. "Luce?"

"I'm going away, Natsu." Her eyes trailed up to meet his, and he was taken aback at how the surface shone with unshed tears.

"What? Where are you going?"

Her lips quivered just a bit as she responded. "Somewhere far away."

"Can't you stay?"

He noticed how still she went at that question. "I—I can't."

The question _Why not?_ was hanging from his lips when Lucy started glowing, a sorrow-stricken expression on her face. The light was more muted and serene compared to when she transformed into a human, but it had a melancholic aura to it. She slowly grew in size, her wings still keeping her up. He reached up to hold her hands, because it felt like she was leaving him soon, and he didn't want to let go. "Luce?" he asked, worried beyond belief, "Lucy?!"

"I don't have much time," she choked out, tears streaming down her face. Her arms went around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"W-what are you talking about?" he asked, trying to seem unbelieving despite painfully knowing just why Lucy was glowing and sad and _looking like she didn't want to leave him_. "Where are you going? You still have to punish me, right?"

"You're innocent, Natsu," she chuckled a bit, "A sweet boy like you wouldn't burn a forest down."

Was Lucy leaving him because he was innocent? "No!" he tried to scream, "I'm not innocent, Luce! I-I lied about that. I burned the forest because I wanted to!"

He felt her fingers stroke his scalp tenderly. "You're kind and sweet and strong and brave." There were so much sincerity and admiration in her voice that he couldn't say he wasn't those things.

"I just wish I realized I loved you sooner."

He felt his whole body stop at the sentence. "Y-you love me?"

Lucy buried her face on his shoulder, longing and wanting. "I wouldn't sacrifice myself for you if I didn't."

_Sacrifice. Leaving. Away. Can't stay._ He was able to piece it out—a moment too late—just as Lucy was lit up with a blinding light that it was almost impossible to see her. Her embrace tightened and more tears fell on his shoulder. He found himself hugging her just as tight, because Lucy sacrificed herself for him, and she was slowly disappearing. "Don't leave, Luce," he said, voice breaking at the end, "You can't leave me." This can't be true. His Lucy couldn't possibly be leaving.

But her kiss a moment after was warm and desperate and tasted every bit like goodbye that even he couldn't deny it. She was slowly fading now, almost transparent. Everything seemed to sink in a little too late as she held his face in her hands, her touch cold and warm at the same time.

"I love you, Natsu."

And her voice echoed within the depths of his mind, the last words she spoke to him before she finally disappeared, leaving Natsu staring wide-eyed at the empty air in front of him.

* * *

It's been almost a year since the day Lucy disappeared, and almost a year of traveling aimlessly in search for her. Porlyusica, a fairy expert, had told him that Lucy was most likely gone forever, that he wouldn't see her again and there was no point in looking for someone that didn't even exist anymore. He ignored her, persistently holding onto the hope that they would meet again. But he couldn't deny that, with each passing day of fruitless results and vain searches, his hope of ever seeing the fairy waned and his longing for Lucy got so worse it was killing him. He was so damn lucky that it almost pained him, because _Lucy wasn't there to make him unlucky_.

Before he even noticed, his feet had already led him to a place of trees and greeneries, blackened and scorched to ashes. Soot covered the soles of his shoes, and the faint scent of smoke still lingered in the air. He briefly got the image of a forest once so beautiful and _alive_, before shutting off the oncoming flood of guilt. After all, it was him who burned this place to the ground.

What started off as a simple walk turned into a mindless trek among crispy leaves and dusty trees. He stumbled around aimlessly, eyes skirting the charred surroundings with the intention of finding a certain fairy.

Which is why he never saw the tree root in front of his feet and tripped on it, falling face-first to the ground.

Charcoal ash stuck to his face, momentarily obscuring his vision with a black blur. He coughed out the powder in his mouth and groaned as he lifted his head up. That might have been the first unlucky thing that's happened to him in months.

His eyes snapped open, only managing to shake the ash off his eyelids and transfer into his eyes. Rubbing them with the back of his hand, he focused his gaze ahead to clear his vision faster.

When it did, he saw the first inhabited town directly in front of him.

* * *

To say the least, the town was. . . weird. One would expect a town to have a few shrubberies here and there, but this town had flowers _every few steps_. There was at least one small flower that he would squish under his feet when he took a step. Trying to avoid the flowers—because stepping on flowers was never right—he didn't notice the person standing in front of him, bumping into him a _little_ too hard. The black-haired man glared at him. "Oi, watch where you're going!"

It was like instinct for him to match the man's glare. "What did you say?" he said, annoyed, "You're the one stopping randomly in the middle of the road!"

The man huffed, crossing his arms over bare chest. "You look more like a fairy than I do, pink-hair," he muttered.

Natsu figured it was more for the man than for him, but he still caught it. "Look who's talking, stripper!"

The raven-haired—shirtless—man looked like he was about to retort when a stern voice was heard behind them, making him freeze. "Gray!" the voice shouted. A woman with red hair walked towards them, threateningly scary despite having a calm demeanor. There was a looming aura around them that told Natsu this was a woman not to be messed with. He gulped, in sync with the man she called Gray, who squeaked a frightened 'Erza!' beside him.

"Are you fighting with someone—?" She stopped in her sentence when their eyes met, and recognition dawned on her features. He briefly wondered _how_ she knew him when he didn't know her—

—just as her fist came flying towards his face.

"What the hell?!" he managed to say, rubbing the sore spot where the punch connected with his cheek. He sat up gingerly, glaring at the red-haired _monster_ looming over him.

This seemed to snap the woman back to her senses. "I'm sorry for how I acted," she bowed, "I wanted to do it for a friend. Please hit me."

A sentence caught his attention. "What did you just say?"

"Please hit me if it appeases you."

He stood up and brushed himself. "No, before that."

"I'm sorry for how I acted."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "_No_, after that."

"I wanted to do it for a friend?"

"Yeah!" he almost exclaimed, "Who's this friend?" _Because I have a feeling it's Lucy_, he thought of saying but didn't.

"Her name's—" She started to say, but Gray, the black-haired _stripper_ beside him, covered her mouth before she could finish it. He whispered something to her.

"We shouldn't say her location to just _anyone_, even if this moron does seem to be Natsu."

"Hey, I'm not a moron!" he couldn't help but shout, realizing a second too late that he wasn't supposed to let them know he could hear them.

Gray visibly started, shocked at being heard. "Shit."

Natsu looked proud and indignant at the same time. "Now I _know_ she's here."

Erza, who had stayed quiet for some time, decided to speak at that moment, looking toughly abashed. "She's in there," she said, pointing at a little shanty meters away.

He grinned at her gratefully. "Thanks," he said as he started to run towards the place pointed to him.

When Natsu was out of earshot—_his_ earshot—Gray turned to Erza questioningly, who merely shrugged in reply. "Me owing him a punch doesn't mean I'll tell him where she is. I still don't trust him."

The ice fairy raised a black eyebrow at her. "Don't tell me you—"

Titania harbored a smile that seemed too twisted and held every bit of evil that it made Gray suppress a shiver.

"He has _no_ idea what he's in for."

**.**

**.**

**.**

Imagine Natsu's horror when he hugged who he thought was a black-haired Lucy from behind, which turned out to be a guy with long, black hair _and_ metal studs all over his body.

* * *

The whole damn _town_ has been leading him in circles. That was the same leafless tree, the same crushed flower he accidentally stepped on, and that was the same short, old _man_ he kept passing by. It started with that red-haired Erza and that stripper Gray who led him to 'Lucy' who really was a towering, black-haired metalhead (didn't mean he didn't take the guy on). The blue-haired pixie (or small person) with the metal freak told him that he would find Lucy in this particularly house, then the green-haired girl living in said house almost shot his head if someone with black hair (not that Gajeel or that Gray) didn't stop her. They pointed him to another house, and the cruel cycle went on.

After the last house, where an orange-haired guy lived (He swore the whole town had a rainbow hair color collection. He passed by a violet-haired girl making trees grow earlier), Natsu stomped off almost irritably. The guy—Loke—had told him that he should give up searching, because absolutely _no one_ in the town would point him to where she really was. Now that he could _feel_ that he was so close to finding Lucy, he wouldn't damn well give up on it. Just the thought of giving up made him dash forward mindlessly. With the wind blowing on his face, he shouted to the townspeople, "Even if you don't tell me where she really is, I'll still find her! Because—"

He considered the end of that sentence, and held a small grin because it was true. "Because I love—"

All he saw was a flash of yellow before he crashed into someone. Surprisingly, he managed to keep himself standing even with the impact, and moved just in time to catch the other person by the waist. A slight blush appeared on his cheeks because the curves he was feeling told him this person was a girl, and he just _hugged_ her even if he didn't know her.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention!"

Then his eyes snapped up to see her face. Because that sweet voice was painfully familiar that it stirred something inside him.

And, really, how _lucky_ was it for this to happen. Because, even though he still couldn't believe it, Lucy was in his arms. _Lucy_, who disappeared into nothing just a year ago. She was _alive_ and _human_. Soothing relief and euphoria filled him.

"Lucy!" And he just hugged her tighter and didn't dare let go with the fear of her disappearing again. "I finally found you. I'm so happy." A shaky laugh came from him because he was so happy he didn't how to feel at that moment. He couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Natsu?" she asked slowly, surprised, "Is that really you?" When his head nodded, she flung her arms around him, excited and happy and _content_. "You looked for me, even after all this time."

He pulled back and grinned at her. "Because I love you, weirdo." They chuckled. "But Lucy," he said, looking into her eyes with a serious expression on his face, "don't ever do that again."

She laughed softly. "I'll try not to," she said, "I'll miss you a lot if I do."

"I'll do anything to find you if you do."

And they kissed again, soft and tender and just happy to be with each other. Because Natsu knew that even if he lost Lucy again, luck—no, _they_—would always find a way to come back to each other's arms.

* * *

**notes:** Another happy ending? I'm going soft.  
**notes2:** Then again, that's not enough payment for making you all wait for _more than 3 weeks_.  
**notes3:** I need writing fuel.  
**notes4:** I'll make sure the next one won't take that long (maybe).


	14. key

**notes:** Well, a week is better than 3.  
**notes2:** This one is pretty short, but it's just collecting dust in my idea bank so I decided to use it now (because I just gave you an AU last chappie and I kindasortawill give you guys another one next chappie).  
**notes3:** I have too many hobbies.  
**notes4:** (I feel like this is a default phrase now) Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (HungerGamesrules, LinkLover123, Prisma Honeydew, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, km28ave, and xXxSnowyDreamxXx)!  
**notes5:** To km28ave: Great question! OMG I can't believe I didn't answer it! Lucy's still alive because her remaining powers gave her luck to keep her alive (albeit the rule), which also brought Natsu closer to Lucy at the end.  
**notes6:** I guess the Update Train is back on track, woot woot!  
**notes7:** (14/25) -Forgot to put this last one-shot lol (Only 11 more, can you believe it?)  
**disclaimer:** I'm pretty sure mangakas have some sort of deadline for every chapter (especially Hiro Mashima-san, with Fairy Tail being superduperultramega popular), and as you can see, I can't work well with time. If in the improbable event I did own Fairy Tail, not only would the chapters be crappy, but they also wouldn't be updated weekly on a regular basis.  
**summary:** Because she has always been his Celestial Spirit Mage.

* * *

She was seated in her usual spot on the bar, head resting on crossed arms. Nothing was exactly different about this day than any other day, except the fact that, a few days back, Natsu and her had just started their relationship (this one, for sure, was _romantic_). A blush would still paint her cheeks pink whenever the thought came, because the reality hadn't fully sunk in that _she_ was dating _Natsu_, who always seemed so dense about her feelings. She squealed involuntarily, earning a few weirded looks from the guild (and that was saying something, since the guild was wacky on its own).

Right at that moment though, Natsu was not found beside her like he always was. Despite being a bit lonely about the dragonslayer's absence, the blond appreciated Natsu's willingness to learn more about the 'Fundamentals of Romance' because he knew she liked all those cliché things in relationships (it was different with him, she told herself, because she didn't care even if he wasn't a romantic or her prince charming, just that he was Natsu, and that was enough) found in books on her shelf. She was just worried exactly _who_ he'll learn it from.

Just as she was about to indulge in what happens if Natsu learns it from someone like _Macao_ and _Wakaba_ (oh, Mavis), the guild doors burst open, said pink-haired boy and his cat entering the guild. "Lucy!" Natsu's face lit up immediately when he saw her, speeding up his pace to reach her faster.

"Good morning, Natsu," she greeted as he took the seat next to her.

"Lucy!" Happy called to her, "Natsu made you something!" Natsu tried to shush him from telling the surprise, but, not being able to stop the Exceed on time, resignedly fished the object out his pocket. It shone brightly from the light. He put it on Lucy's open palm.

"A gift? But there aren't any special occasions today."

His face turned confused. "Do I need a special occasion to give you something?" he asked, scratching his head, "Don't those boys in your books randomly give the girl something even if it's just an ordinary day?"

She chuckled at that. "How sweet." Then, she proceeded to look at it more closely, observing every small detail. The object was gold, with a heart at the end and Natsu's name engraved on the surface. It was obvious that it was handmade and that a lot of effort and time were put into it (not to mention resources). Lucy immediately fell in love with it. "When did you make this?"

"I made it from yesterday until this morning," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "That's why I never got to go to your house."

The longer she focused on it, the more she noticed the distinct resemblance to one of her possessions. "Natsu, what is this?"

He looked away, red coloring his face. "It's—it's the key to my heart."

* * *

_"That sounds so cheesy, Natsu! Who did you hear it from?"_

_"W-well, Mira told me that when you start a relationship, you open up your heart to someone. How could you open my heart if you don't have a key?"_

* * *

She stood there, knees barely sustaining her weight from fatigue. Her breaths, labored and ragged, made her chest heave up and down. None of the spirits she summoned so far had worked on her enemy, and she was running out of magic power. She could only think of one thing as she pulled one of the keys from the key ring. _Maybe Loke could defeat him!_

And she realized a moment after that instead of the Lion's key, she was holding onto Natsu's crafted key. A scream of mixed frustration and desperation came out of her. "_Natsu!_"

The enemy rushed forward, wielding his magic weapon. She screwed her eyes shut as the man raised the glowing sword up, accepting her fate (because there was nothing else to do but accept it). Only the hit never came. She was still alive, in one piece, when the sword should've killed her moments ago. Opening her eyes, she was met with a very familiar back and a side glance from a very familiar person (hell, this person was _more_ than familiar). Natsu was standing protectively in front of her, hands holding a melting blade. "Did you summon me, Luce?" He grinned at her, and she almost melted with relief.

When they both defeated the enemy together (turns out all they needed was raw strength), she turned to him, a question on her lips. "Natsu," she called, turning his full attention to her, "how do you always save me in time?"

Natsu shrugged. "I just know when you're in trouble. I always know when you call for my help," he gave her a toothy grin, "because you're my Celestial Spirit Mage."

Unseen by them, the handcrafted key in Lucy's hand briefly glowed and shone.

* * *

**notes:** I think that was extremely cheesy.  
**notes2:** And completely random.  
**notes3:** But like how Lucy holds the key to Natsu's heart, **you **hold the key to something equally important (okay, no, definitely not. Natsu's heart is far more precious). Yes, **you** hold the key to when I could get my ass to finish the next one-shot! Just review!


	15. elevator

**notes:** Well, this one-shot was actually in the works since last week. Took me a little longer to finish it.  
**notes2:** And here comes the damned Writer's Block. I mean, I have a lot (and I mean a _lot_) of ideas just waiting to be written, but none of them seemed to speak to me! I will have to discuss this matter with my plot bunnies soon.  
**notes3:** Hopefully I could post next week *sighs*  
**notes4:** This is the first Modern AU I've done ("luck" sort of doesn't count since the Fantasy AU-ness outweighs the Modern AU-ness), and I feel like I'll be writing more of these.  
**notes5:** Thank you to those who put this into their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (wolfhead [I leave the answer to your question in your imagination ;)], CupCakesYummeh, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, LinkLover123, QueenP19, xBluieLovex, Fuuga GF, GoldenRoseTanya, rocket shoes, km28ave, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, and greetingsfrommaars)! Love you guys!  
**disclaimer:** Yes, because as if owning the canon series wasn't enough, Mashima goes to as a fanfic writer for Fairy Tail.  
**summary:** Because being stuck in an elevator is definitely the best time for broken-up couples to talk.

* * *

She had never wanted to close the elevator door at someone so badly before. Her finger repeatedly pressed the Close Door button, hoping and _hoping_ that he didn't make it, but unfortunately, the elevator's stupid mechanism (no matter how much she pressed it, it still didn't close until a certain amount of seconds had passed) allowed the pink-haired boy to reach the front of the elevator, just barely before it started to close. As she heaved a sigh of relief, a hand clamped against the side of the door, successfully stopping its closing.

The boy gave her a crooked grin that almost melted her. Almost. "Nice try, but you're not closing any doors at me anymore." She stared blankly at him, and emotionlessly pressed the button to _close the door so he can't come with her on the elevator dammit close!_ "O-oi!" the boy stuttered out in shock, "Are you really willing to crush my fingers?!" Out of resignation and pity, she let go of her intent to shut him out, seeing no point in trying. After all, she should know the most how persistent this boy could get.

"Natsu, what are you doing here?" she exclaimed, "You don't even work here!"

Natsu gave her a deadpan stare. "Luce, what does it look like I'm doing?"

She looked off to the side, avoiding his knowing gaze. "No, we're not going to talk."

She could imagine him rolling his eyes. "You can't just break up with me and not tell me why," he said, "It goes against a rule in the Relationship Handbook."

A scoff came out of her lips, more because she laughed and tried to suppress it than mocking. "Since when did you have a Relationship Handbook?"

His lips formed a pout. "Since you became my girlfriend."

And suddenly, she was struck with the sincerity in the words, because Natsu, who was a dense idiot, became more _adept_ in romance just for her. He tried to be more romantic in the sweetest way he can, and he went to the extra mile to make her happy. Really, it wasn't doing her any good to be thinking of all the wonderful things he did for her.

Masking a plethora of feelings—because she refused to believe she _regretted_ her decision of breaking up with him—she directed a glare at him. "We are _not_ going to talk," she firmly said, "even if this elevator stops." And she went back to ignoring him.

His presence didn't help in her forgetting about him, she thought, especially him being in a small elevator with her, only a few inches away, surely listening if she told him that she didn't really—

"Luce?" His uncertain voice reached her thoughts. "Hey, Luce. . ."

"What is it, Natsu?" she replied, annoyed and impatient (Why was he talking to her? Didn't he know what it did to her? She was so close to telling him that—).

She thought she saw him gulp. "I swear you have the power to jinx stuff."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" she shouted, cheeks red.

Slightly wider eyes stared back at her. "The elevator stopped."

The lack of vibration under her feet and even the lack of _motion_ and rumble from the elevator just came to her then. Being so absorbed in her thinking, she failed to notice that the elevator had stopped in between the 12th and 14th floor. They were stuck.

Her breath quickened. "Oh no," she said, wide eyes staring at the screen that told them which floor they were on, and was, digitally, displaying a number between 12 and 14, "No no no no nonononono—"

"Luce."

She pounded on the metal door with her fists, deflating when the pounds came out muffled and her fists red, and resorted to just plain screaming her throat raw. "Help!" she yelled, her voice bouncing off the metal walls in an echo, "We're trapped in the elevator! Help!"

"Luce!" he exclaimed, gripping her shoulders and forcing her to face him, to shrink under his intent gaze, "Calm down!"

"Calm?!" she said, struggling from his hold a bit, "I'm stuck in an elevator!"

"Hey! I'm stuck too, and you don't see me complaining," he said, earning himself a glare, "Point is, it's gonna be okay."

Before she actually _enjoyed_ the feeling of his touch (has it only been days since he last touched her?), she shook his hands away and pressed herself against the opposite wall, wanting to keep as much distance between them as possible (the spots his hands touched still tingled and she cursed at how he could affect her so easily). She decided to recompose herself (rather than him doing it), taking deep breaths and assuming her calm, problem-solving persona.

Really, the solution was just right in front of the clear-minded.

On the elevator's panel of buttons was the Emergency button, a picture of a bell engraved on the metal circle. All she needed to do was press that, and everything would be okay, like Natsu said. Yeah, normality was one click away.

Apparently, Natsu had the same idea, because the moment her finger was almost touching the cold surface, his tanned finger magically appeared to press it before her (okay, maybe not magically. It wasn't like he was a _mage_ or anything), resulting in the tip of her finger pressing his nail. There was a brief moment of charged air permeating the confined, _suffocating_ elevator, before she retracted her hand back, burned with the contact. Was there static running up her arm?

Her ex-boyfriend only raised an eyebrow and gave her a questioning look. "You okay, Luce?"

She sat down at the corner. "Yeah," she said, refusing to meet his eyes, "Yeah, just peachy."

"Are you sure?"

Her head nodded. "Yeah, don't worry," she bit her lip at the sentence (she couldn't assume he would always worry for her now), "I mean, all we have to do now is wait, right?"

Natsu visibly brightened at their interaction. Maybe, she thought, it was because they've managed to hold a conversation without her shutting him off for more than a minute. "Yeah," he said, "It's not like they'll forget we're here or anything."

"Not helping!"

* * *

Her rump ached from sitting long enough for her to remember that waiting is an excruciatingly boring thing to do. She stayed seated in a fetal position, her head resting on her pencil-skirted knees. Natsu sat on the other side, as if sensing the silent boundary she set up between them. Her head fell back on her knees. There was nothing else to do but wait everything out. Wait for everything to go back to normal where she could pretend nothing was bothering her.

They've already done all things unthinkable to help in their rescue. Her phone—because of her negligence—had run out of battery, so they had to use Natsu's phone to call friends, emergency hotlines, _anyone_ on the building to alert people. So, they were left with nothing to do and a lot of free time to talk things out (much to her dismay). That's why she gave Natsu the impression that she didn't want to be bothered.

He hasn't made any attempts so far.

She figured the silence must be _killing_ him. He was never silent. She was shocked he was even able to sit still for a period of time.

His eyes looked uneasily at her—thinking she wouldn't see—and when she met the stare, he started a bit, but immediately returned to his normal demeanor (because there was a certain readiness to him that always anticipated anyone's next move). "Soooo, Luce. . ."

"Not talking preserves oxygen."

He childishly glared at her (she still wondered how a 24-year old man could pull that off), lower lip sticking up in a pout. Still, he didn't talk. He sulked, but he preserved oxygen.

* * *

She stopped keeping count of exactly _how many minutes_ they stayed cooped inside the steel trap called elevator after reaching 30 minutes. Panicked thoughts ran in her head at a thousand per second (perhaps an effect of the confinement?). How long has it been? Where were the rescuers? Why weren't they there yet? How long would it freaking take them to get there anyway? Would pressing the emergency button a million times make them reach them faster? Would she have to stay there for a long time? With _Natsu_? Her ex-_boyfriend_ who she didn't even give a proper reason to why she broke up with him? Who wanted to _talk_? Holy Mavis, let her out of there.

The claustrophobia attacked her full force then (again, another effect of the confinement), making her woozy and ridding her of her ability to think straight. She gasped and became frantic, head swiveling around the four corners of the elevator. Was it her or was it getting harder to breathe? Was the air getting thinner? No windows, tightly-closed metal doors, four steel walls, an iron floor and an iron ceiling. There were absolutely no holes for oxygen to come in from. Would they even have enough oxygen to last for the two of them? Holy Mavis, she really needed to get out of there before she went insane!

Unknown to her, she already started taking deep, quick breaths, a mix of anxiety and fear reflecting in her eyes with the fact that they may never even get out alive. "Luce, are you okay?" Natsu asked her, quiet, concerned, "I'm seriously worried now."

And she just continued taking in air deeply and releasing it through her mouth, as if that would miraculously make the amount of air inside the metal trap sufficient for them both. That was just some screwed-up thinking.

"Lucy, stop hyperventilating!" She heard him say but didn't respond to. Her mind was far too preoccupied with breathing to even bother thinking about what to retort.

From the corner of her eye, she saw him move closer to her. "Wait," he said, standing on all fours in front of her, "I think I know CPR!"

And before she could protest (or even comprehend how CPR was going to help her), he kissed her full on the lips, blowing air into her mouth. She didn't even care if he was doing CPR wrong (does CPR involve tongue?) because she found herself responding back. When they pulled away, her entire face flushed red.

Trying to gain back some dignity, she directed a glare at him, more obvious sooner that it was forced. "You idiot! The purpose was to give _more_ air, not leave the other person breathless!"

His eyes shone mischievously as he smirked. "So it _did_ leave you breathless."

Her face blushed a deeper hue of red. "S-shut up!"

By the grin he gave her, she was almost certain he already knew.

* * *

After the paranoia has died down (Natsu's kiss seemed to snap her out of it), there was only the dull, numbing fear of not being able to get out. Of not being able to accomplish what she wanted to in life. Of everything ending with just this.

Her arms hugged her knees tighter. She wanted to cry.

"Are you scared?"

She snapped her head to the other side of the elevator, where Natsu leaned comfortably on the wall as he looked at her (with worry, and she almost rejoiced inwardly had it not been for the circumstances). His eyebrows knitted together with the frowning of his mouth.

Her voice came out hoarse. "I'm fine." She tucked her head in between her knees. "I'm not—I'm not scared."

"Dammit, Lucy!" he suddenly exclaimed, shaking her out of her boots. He seemed to realize this as he lowered his voice. "I don't—I don't understand why you'll try to hide it from me," he said, pursing his lips with poorly concealed disappointment and hurt, "I could read every small movement you make, and I would know _especially_ when you're scared."

A brief memory of cold, fearful nights spent comfortingly in his arms passed in her mind. And when she blinked, it was gone.

She said nothing in return, only chose to keep her silence and wallow in misery (instead of sharing it with him; she already caused him too much misery). It stayed quiet, with none of them uttering a word to fill the enclosed elevator with _any_ noise. She was beginning to think he abandoned trying to reason with her for anything (not just her being scared, no, even the breakup), inwardly steeling herself for the time when Natsu would give up on her.

But then a pair of familiar arms she secretly longed for—warm, inviting, comforting—wrapped around her shaking shoulders, pulling her closer, drawing her into his chest.

Natsu didn't say anything, but the unspoken ("I'm here, so don't be afraid.") was all she needed.

* * *

"Natsu. . ."

Wrapped in the boy's jacket, they huddled together in one corner of the elevator. Her head was resting on his chest, reveling in the soothing embrace.

"Yeah?" She felt his voice rumble in his chest.

"Do you still love me?"

Immediately after she said it, her eyes widened, hands moving to cover her mouth. It was an unconscious mumble. She didn't mean to blurt it out.

He shifted so that he could hug her tighter (if that was even possible) and there was something tender about the affectionate gesture. "I never stopped," he said, making her look up at him in surprise, "so why should I now?" She searched for sincerity and it was all over his face, written on his forehead, hanging from his lips, burning in his eyes.

No words formed in her mouth, her mind muddled with a mix of guilt and euphoria, but she merely laid her head back down on his warm chest and sighed.

* * *

She waited until she felt Natsu's deep, even breaths before she stopped feigning sleep. There was no way she could tell him what she was about to if he was awake.

Moving her body in his arms so that she was facing him, her sight blurred, brown eyes watering when they went to his peaceful, innocent face.

Because she loved this boy so much. And she let him go.

"Natsu. . ." she said softly, voice cracking, "I think I've hurt you too much."

She cupped his cheek, warm under her ice-cold skin. "Breaking up with you was the worst decision I made." Regret bubbled inside her. "But I'm willing to do that than hurt you more than I already did."

She wrapped her arms around his sleeping figure, something she had wanted to do from the moment she uttered the words that broke his heart. He was warm. He has always been so warm. "I put my work above you, and it pains me to see you waiting for me every night when I come home just to tell me you missed me, or inside a fancy restaurant you had to reserve a week ago only for me not to show up because of a meeting, or—" Really, it was a long, long list of disappointments and wrongs and letdowns, and she could go on the whole day enumerating all of them. And the list could've gone on and on and on had she not cut it short by ending everything. She got a discontinuing list, but she also had a discontinuing relationship. Didn't seem that worth it now, but that was just her being selfish. "You deserve so much better."

As if she could repent for all that she's done, she placed a soft, loving kiss on Natsu's cheek, full of unsaid apologies and unasked forgiveness and sadness and rue. Warm tears pooled her eyes and streamed down her face.

"I'm so, so sorry."

And she closed her eyes and rested her head on his rising-and-falling chest, for what seemed to be the last time she will ever have the chance to.

* * *

Natsu's eyes finally snapped open, all signs of sleep gone from his face. He was awake the whole time. Wide awake to hear everything Lucy said.

"You weirdo." He looked down at the slumbering girl in his arms with a gentle face. "Do you really think I'll find someone else?" He chuckled softly and kissed the crown of her blond head. "You know you're the only one who can put up with me."

And just then, the elevator rumbled back to life, him feeling its descent to the bottom. Relief flooded through him, replacing the anxiety that was once there. They were getting out of there. Lucy didn't have to be afraid anymore.

When the metal doors finally opened, real, natural light from the outside flooded into the gloomy inside, making him squint at the sudden brightness. Figures called at him, checking him for injuries, making sure he was alright. He stood up and carried Lucy out—having to reassure friends and coworkers she was fine along the way—a small smile making its way to his lips at the girl's undisturbed, tranquil expression.

He can't wait to surprise her with a date tomorrow.

* * *

Extra:

Then it was all just a dream and Natsu and Lucy weren't really out of the elevator and the elevator crashed and—

**notes:** Gah! I can't ruin the happy ending of a Modern AU! I'm going really. _Soft_.  
**notes2:** But I just love writing these. I get ideas from _everything_.  
**notes3:** But really though, I'm stuck right now.  
**notes4:** Not in an elevator, of course. Unless elevators have wi-fi.  
**notes5:** Also, could you bribe plot bunnies with reviews?


	16. scarf

**notes:** Well, I don't know how my plot bunnies managed it, but they did.  
**notes2:** Good thing is I got the next one-shot's idea mapped out and all, and I better write it while I'm inspired!  
**notes3:** OMG, who else is excited to see the Erza/Kagura/Minerva fight? And the hooded girl's (possible, maybe not because Mashima's a troll) reveal?  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this story in their Favorites/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, ThePartyHasEntered, Prisma Honeydew, Disappear500, Plop, misstirius, Yuni-sama, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, Guest, GoldenRoseTanya, Captain Ea Rayos, and ResidentialLoDGAotaku)!  
**notes5:** (16/25)  
**disclaimer:** I don't think I would want to be a guy (no offense).  
**summary:** Because losing his scarf meant losing a part of his life, but losing Lucy meant losing his whole life.

* * *

When he woke up to a wonderful, wonderful morning—the sun shining brightly, the sky clear, his Lucy snuggled up to him (fully-clothed, mind you)—there were two things he immediately noticed. One: he always liked sleeping on Lucy's comfortable bed; and two: his neck suddenly felt colder. It took him a moment of sleepy thoughts to fully process it. His scarf was missing. _The_ signature white scarf he always wore around his neck. _The_ precious scarf Igneel gave him. _The_ article of clothing that almost meant more than his own life. And it wasn't wrapped around his neck like it usually was.

He jumped off the bed, panic rising within his heated body. Frantic black eyes scanned the whole room, only to find _nothing_ that resembled what he was looking for. Where the _hell_ could it be other than around his neck? Unless. . .

"Natsu, is something wrong?" Lucy mumbled from the bed, rubbing the grogginess out of her eyes. Her blond hair was a tangled mess, matted and untamed in the early hours of the morning (and he would have found it rather cute, her being so adorable even in the morning, if he wasn't so busy worrying about his scarf).

He turned to her with wide, fear-filled eyes. "Someone took my scarf!" His teeth gritted in anger.

As if only to realize the problem right then—as if only to notice the now visible scar on Natsu's neck—Lucy's eyes shot open in alarm. "Oh, Mavis," she managed to say, "Natsu, I—"

"And it's all your fault!" He pointed at Lucy, pouting.

"What?!"

"I wasn't able to sense the bastard who took my scarf because your scent is so nice that it's all I want to smell!"

Lucy, unsure of whether to turn red in anger or pink in embarrassment, exploded into healthy hues of pink and red. "Does this argument even make sense?"

He puffed his cheeks out, glaring at nothing in particular. "I don't know," he muttered, "I can't think straight without my scarf."

His mate's face softened. "Then let's go find your precious scarf." Her hand grabbed his, leading him out of her apartment. "You're already dumb enough with it." She giggled.

"Hey!"

* * *

With breakneck speed (he could already run fast on a normal day, much more with fire on his feet and his body fueled with worry), he nearly broke the door off its hinges when the two of them burst through, him carelessly (and unknowingly) dragging a poor, bedraggled Lucy like a rag doll. They had a brief moment of the blond yelling at him and him—only then noticing what he had done—profusely apologizing and hugging her and making sure she was not hurt somewhere.

"I'm fine, Natsu," she pressed, unconsciously rolling her eyes (being destructive and caring was a pretty weird mix) but couldn't help smiling.

"Are you sure, Luce?" he asked, checking every part of her body for injuries—legs, torso, arms—until his hands stopped at her face. He looked more closely, successfully spreading a blush on his mate's face at the close proximity.

"Natsu!" someone from the guild called, interrupting the premature romantic atmosphere brewing, "Where's your scarf?"

Coming back to his senses (he lost sight of his goal _again_), he faced the guild, the serious, mildly angry expression on his face silencing the rowdy members. "Some bastard took it!" And this was the harder part to say. "And—and I—ummm. . ."

Lucy (still a little annoyed at being interrupted but dealing with it), seeing his struggles with his pride and ego, sighed and continued the request for him. "We were wondering if you could help us—"

Only to realize that she was speaking to an empty guild.

Appalled, she turned to Natsu, who grinned at her in that annoyingly oblivious way of his. "Wow!" he exclaimed, "I didn't even need to ask them!"

Lucy didn't know whether to admire the guild for wasting no time in helping Natsu or berate them for being rude and choosing to rush _right in the middle of her talking_. Letting out one last scream of frustration, she walked out of the wooden doors to catch up to Natsu.

* * *

It was dramatically different without his scarf wrapped around his neck, he thought morosely. The air hit his neck annoyingly as he ran, and he found that he hated the feel of the wind blowing across his bare skin. During irritated times, he burrowed his nose into nothing, being reminded yet again that his scarf was missing. His mood plummeted more.

"Natsu, don't worry," Lucy said softly, running her hand up and down his arm comfortingly. Because he was deep in thought, he didn't notice that they had already stopped walking. "We'll find your scarf." It was still a wonder to him how she knew all the right things to say to him. She didn't need to ask what she already knew. "Are you okay?" was useless, and he loved her for not asking.

The downcast expression remained on his face. He just lost the only vestige of Igneel he had. It felt like losing an important part of him.

And suddenly, he found his neck wrapped with limbs (disappointingly not cloth), Lucy's arms around him tightly. "I'll be your scarf for now."

The stupid part of him whispered that maybe this situation wasn't so bad (where will you get a scarf you can kiss?), but before he could even silence it, he was already leaning towards Lucy, eyes closed and lips puckered.

He barely missed the familiar scent wafting in the air almost overwhelmed by Lucy's intoxicating fragrance.

It was his scarf, and it was in the hands of an unfamiliar, suspicious man.

* * *

"Get back here, you bastard!"

He was running with speed more than what he thought he had (and that was saying something, because he expected _a lot_ from himself and the expectations he set for himself weren't laughable, much less _possible_ for a normal human). The trail behind him was aflame from the extreme friction of his sandals and the ground. Steam rolled off of him in waves, both from the wind hitting his skin (and becoming hotter because of his high temperature) and his sweat evaporating due to his heated skin. And still the man could manage to keep his distance.

Him running was an obvious sign that he was guilty of the crime. Everyone knew that stealing from the (in)famous Salamander was like asking for a death sentence.

The tired, ragged breaths of the culprit reached his ears. He could _almost_ feel the man's neck in his _hand_—

And when he could almost finally catch up to the guy who took his scarf, the man _tripped_, accidentally throwing the balled-up piece of cloth in the air with the sudden lurching motion. His scarf unfurled itself, and he watched frustratingly as the wind blew it away.

His head looked back and forth between the man groaning on the ground and the scaled scarf steadily gliding in the wind farther and farther from him. He had to make a crucial choice and he _hated_ making hard decisions.

Thankfully, Gajeel arrived to place a foot on top of the man's back, holding him down. "Don't worry," he said, "I'll keep him here for ya."

He nodded his thanks, shot one more dirty glare at the man, and turned to chase his flying scarf.

When he was gone, Gajeel removed his boot from the man's back (just he dare run away from him) and crouched down to face him. "Lemme tell you something about dragon slayers, eh?" he said, a smirk curling his lips, "We tend to be. . . _possessive_."

The man stiffened at the sentence, seeming to realize his mistake. Gajeel did his best to hide his amusement. "Take me, for example." He pointed a thumb at himself for emphasis. "If you take one of my stuff, then. . .all you have to know is that I have a metal arm and I can turn it into any weapon I want." The man shuddered. "For Natsu," Gajeel's smirk turned into an evil grin, "he would burn you to a crisp."

That was when the man finally, truly, really feared for his life. Gajeel couldn't help the scratchy laugh that erupted in his throat. "Good thing you didn't hit on Bunny Girl," there was a twisted mirth in his eyes at the thought of what shit could've gone down if it did happen, "or it coulda been much, much worse."

* * *

Eventually, after a long wild goose chase around markets, parks and _waters_, his scarf led him through the ending of a forest and to an unknown rocky ground. As he ran ahead of the scarf, thinking it would easier to get it that way, he noticed something near the end. There was an _end_. He was able to stop himself before nearly falling off a steep cliff down to hard, unforgiving ground 50 feet below. Breathing hard (both from exhaustion and near-death experiences), he stepped away from the cliff and, instead, focused on how the hell he could get his scarf flying in the air.

He saw a flash of yellow going towards the end at the corner of his eye and it was too late before he realized. There was a loud cracking sound, followed by a rumble, and Lucy was barely hanging at the collapsed edge of the cliff.

"Lucy!" He started to run towards her, eyes wide in panic.

"Natsu!" Her face contorted with the strenuous effort she had to put to keep herself from falling. "The scarf!"

The scarf was fluttering closer and closer to somewhere he could never get it. His only remembrance of Igneel was disappearing.

A frightened scream brought him out of his thoughts. Lucy only had an arm hanging from the edge. When he scrambled to her again, she said, "Get the scarf, Natsu!"

He knew there was a grave choice to make. The scarf Igneel gave him flew more and more towards the edge of the cliff. Lucy hung precariously from the edge to keep herself from crashing to the ground, falling to her _death_. Igneel. Lucy. Was there really much of a choice in there?

As Lucy's fingers, one by one, lost their grip on the jagged edge, she briefly felt the air blow her hair upwards before a warm hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. With the 'thank you' hanging from her lips, her savior protectively wrapped his arms around her, drawing her to his chest. "I'm sorry," Natsu said softly, laying his head on her shoulder, "I'm sorry for not pulling you up sooner."

"I understand, Natsu." Her fingers, albeit scratched and numb, danced on the patch of skin with his scar. "But, the scarf's gone."

"Do you really think I'd choose the scarf over you, Luce?" Natsu said, pulling back, "Sure, Igneel gave it to me, and sure, it's important to me, but," a grin formed on his face, affectionate and soft on the edges, "when I meet Igneel again, I'm sure he'll give me another one. But if I lose you," his face turned serious, eyebrows scrunched together in what could only by described as trepidation, "there's nothing that could ever replace you."

Struck by his sincere words, she could only freeze as he hugged her tightly, as if afraid he'll lose her, as if his thoughts would become true when he voiced them out. "Because there's only one Lucy, and she's my whole life."

Her eyes softened. "Natsu. . ." She took his face in her hands and leaned in, their lips slowly inching closer. His hot breath touched her skin. She could almost feel his lips—

"Natsuuu, when are you gonna take your scarf? I'm so tired of holding it out while you get mushy with Lucy!"

The two jolted at the high-pitched voice, scrambling away from each other. She was first to recover from embarrassment, though her cheeks remained flaming red. "Happy!" she exclaimed, "Since when were you there?!"

Happy seemed too cheerful to answer. "When Natsu saved you, I flew to get the scarf, but when I got back, you two were having this private moment and it seemed like it was going to go on for a long time and then you were about to kiss and—"

"Don't you know how to sense the atmosphere, you damn cat?!"

The Exceed faked a pout. "But Lucyyy," he said, "I didn't want to see you and Natsu be all gross so I interrupted you."

"Gross?!" Lucy exploded, clearly offended, "We don't get gross!"

"Well, I've entered your bedroom too many times to know what you guys do, Lucy~"

"What?! No! We don't do _that_!"

Happy gave her an unconvincing stare. "Whatever you say, Lucy."

Natsu watched the exchange, a grin on his face. The blond sputtered, and the blush on her cheeks still hadn't subsided. He thought it was cute. As he felt the reassuring material of his scarf around his neck, he heaved a sigh of relief. Lucy was safe, and he just found out he would've chosen her even over his scarf, over Igneel.

His foster father would be so happy that he found his mate.

* * *

**notes:** Sorry, couldn't help giving Natsu at least a hard choice *giggles*  
**notes2:** I love Happy sooo much. He's the #1 NaLu shipper (maybe a little over Levy).  
**notes3:** Losing sleep meant losing a part of the author's life, but not getting reviews meant—Lol, just kidding. Review!  
**notes4:** Don't leave me hanging! (trololol)


	17. experiment

**notes:** I underestimated time. . .  
**notes2:** And my hobbies. . .  
**notes3:** I shouldn't plan out my one-shots. I end up taking longer.  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list and to those who reviewed (ThePartyHasEntered, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, QueenP19, LinkLover123, GoldenRoseTanya, Puma, Yuni-sama, xxJcc161xx, and Prisma Honeydew)!  
**notes5:** I have the perfect headcanon for the previous one-shot (that more or else answers all questions)! What if the one who stole Natsu's scarf was Mirajane, because it always seemed like she could predict those two lol  
**notes6:** And here it is . . . DUN DUN DUN the angst!  
**notes7:** (17/25)  
**disclaimer:** Yeeaaahhh, I still need Google Translate to translate Mashima's tweets so I don't think I AM him.  
**summary:** Because aren't we all test subjects to a bigger experiment?

* * *

Their steps echoed in the closed, dull-white hallway, the tap-click-tap bouncing off walls. Lights above her head flickered on and off, highlighting darker edges on the face of the tanned man (who was supposed to be her boss, she thought). At first glance, the outside of the research facility looked rather inviting to visitors and interns (even though it wasn't open to the public), but now inside, its interior and encasing sides only caused suffocation and claustrophobia to consume her.

There was something off about this seemingly-harmless institute. Something beyond what she could comprehend.

Small crimson splatters of blood laid on the corner of the wall, and her body gave an involuntary shudder.

"Pay no mind to it, Ms. Heartfilia," Dr. Brain, the head of the facility, said to her, and she forced herself not to reel in front of him.

* * *

The clear blue liquid filled up the glass syringe, seemingly shining under the poor lighting of the gray room. She held it up for closer inspection, and tested it by pressing the bottom, the serum squirting through the long needle. It seemed painful.

"You're new here, aren't you?" A gruff voice spoke, reverberating in the small test room.

She turned around to get her clipboard. "Yes, I am, Natsu."

Natsu's spiky shock of pink hair swayed slightly when he faced her, a serious expression on his hard black eyes. "Do you know what they do here?"

"The institute researches ways to correct abnormalities in the human body," she said without looking up, having memorized every word.

He laughed, humorless. "Then you're not supposed to be here." The audible scoff was present in his voice.

This time, she did look up, walking towards him with the syringe. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're stupid enough not to realize what's happening around you."

She stopped short, considering the sentence for a moment. Was she ignorant to what went on in the facility? Was there something she didn't know, like how she felt when she first entered through the facility's doors?

"Oh, and Lucy," Natsu said, drawing her attention back to him. The metal restraints around his wrists and ankles glinted under the light. A wild grin appeared on his face, fangs sharp and bared. She felt herself gulp at the intensity of his young, supposed-to-be innocent face.

"Welcome to hell."

And she emotionlessly stuck the needle to his skin, knocking him out cold.

* * *

The door closed with a click, and he forced himself to look up. There stood his nurse, like last time, blond hair cascading down her back. "Hey, Natsu." She gave him a smile, but compared to the one he received during their first meeting, this one just seemed tired.

"A week, huh?" he started, almost surprising himself. He was _conversing_ with a _nurse_. That didn't seem like him seven days ago. "Must've been one hell of a week," he couldn't help but mutter.

With slightly unfocused brown eyes, she worked on the bench to prepare the injection. "I'm fine," she mumbled, hands fumbling with the needle. She hissed a curse when it accidentally pricked her finger.

He raised his eyebrow (even though she couldn't see the gesture), unbelieving. "Really?" he said, "You're fine with killing people?"

He was answered with a loud clatter, a steel tray falling to the tiled floor. Lucy picked it up with unusual haste. "Wh-who said anything about killing people?" she answered, "It's just a little cost to curing diseases." She gave him another shaky smile. "I'll get used to it."

"Better not," he said under his breath, "I'm starting to like you as my nurse. I don't want you being the one who kills me with no effort."

She rolled her eyes, having gained back a fraction of her demeanor with his remark. "I won't kill anyone," she said, hard confidence on her words, "I promised myself that."

The corner of mouth twitched upward. "Good." It evolved into a grin, this one genuine. "Because I don't want you having blood on your hands."

The needle pierced through his skin, and he could feel the evil liquid entering his body. It wasn't long before intense pain spread through his body, like there were different elements of raw power inside him that wanted to come out but couldn't. Like his body couldn't take its own energy. His eyes snapped open, his suffering reflecting in the black orbs. A scream, full of hurt and agony, erupted from his throat. It felt like he was going to die.

Through the excruciating pain—the screams, the clenching of fists, the _wild, flaring, overwhelming power_—he felt soft, warm hands on his, Lucy's shaking voice repeatedly saying "I'm sorry" when she thought he couldn't hear.

He would never admit it, but her presence eased the suffering a little. This nurse, he thought, would be the death of him.

* * *

She picked up a syringe, inspecting the inside, briefly watching the light shine off the glass. She stuck the needle to the container of the serum, filling up the tube. Her movements halted midway, as if to mull over what she was doing, before resuming, this time to turn around and plaster a believable enough smile. "So, Natsu, are you ready? This might hurt a bit, but don't worry, I'm here."

She left the table with a half-empty syringe, lacking half the amount of what her superiors ordered her to inject into Natsu every week.

* * *

The needle left his skin, and he felt the spots around his vision start to subside. Surprisingly, the pain didn't come. It hasn't come for the past weeks. The serum—injected into him to weaken his body and prevent him from fighting back—didn't knock him out cold like it used to. It gave him a few minutes, steadily increasing as the weeks passed. It actually gave him the chance to converse with his nurse.

Now he wasn't going to question it, telling himself his body was finally getting used to the drug, but it just felt strange enough to question. How come his body hasn't built up the immunity sooner, when he's been receiving this injection for months? Why was it so sudden? Was he getting stronger for his body to resist the drug?

His eyes followed Lucy as she cleaned up the table, throwing out a container that sounded too heavy to be empty when it hit the bottom of the trashcan. He grinned at her when she looked back over her shoulder (probably feeling his stare).

Somehow, he had a feeling this improvement (him getting stronger or something else he can't explain) was related to his nurse in some way.

* * *

"So, how did you end up here?"

She asked, pulling up a chair to sit by his table (it wasn't a bed and this wasn't a hospital, so she got herself used to saying it was a table, because it was—cold, hard and flat).

"Why?" Natsu asked, head cocked slightly towards her with furrowed eyebrows.

Her smile grew a little wider. "Because we have time." _The drug won't kick in for a __**long**__ while_, she thought of adding but decided against it. "And it's not like we don't do this every week."

"You mean you telling me stories until you bore me to death that I fall unconscious?" he said with a teasing grin.

She hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"You know what? I'll start," she said, "My childhood was happy." There was a dreamy, faraway look in her eyes as she thought of a time when things were better. When her life wasn't _this_, whatever screwed-up reality it became. "We were rich, but what really made me happy was that we were together, and we loved each other." She saw Natsu's frown as the light left her eyes. "That is, until my mom died from some unknown disease."

He seemed to piece it together faster than she thought (sometimes she really underestimated him). "Is that why you're here?"

She nodded. "Shortly after my mom died, I overheard Dr. Brain talking to my father about how this facility specializes in research of my mom's disease. My dad didn't care about it back then—my mom was dead, what use would it have?—but I thought it was an opportunity to at least do something." She took a deep breath to contain a sob erupting from her chest. "Like it was my way of doing at least something for Mom."

Natsu offered her a sympathetic look (she liked to think he only showed that comforting side of his to her), and she continued with another shuddering deep inhale. "So I tried my best to become a nurse to be able to work in here. It was also by that time when we lost all our wealth. My father entered me here." Something dark flashed in her eyes for a second before it disappeared. "With no other choice, I just thought that not only would I be earning money from this facility, but I would also be able to find out just what kind of disease killed my mother, and how I could cure it so it doesn't kill others." But then the sad atmosphere lifted when she smiled, bright and cheerful. "So, how about you?"

"You really don't belong here," Natsu mumbled under his breath, but she'd caught it.

"What was that?" There was a sickly sweet smile on her face, eyes that seemed too big to be natural.

"I-I said I'll get on with my story," he said, miffed at being heard. "Okay, so I was an orphan. Wait, I think we all were in Fairy Tail, except for Laxus and Cana," he added as an afterthought.

"Fairy Tail?" She mimicked, the name unfamiliar in her tongue yet leaving an unusually warm feeling.

"Yeah!" Natsu beamed. "Fairy Tail is my guild. We took missions and had bar fights—I always fought with Stripper—and had drinking contests." His eyes held warmth and _love_, something she thought was admirable (how one man could openly show his love without it being _a sign of weakness_ but _a sign of strength_). "We were family."

And then the loving expression was gone along with other signs of happiness as he continued, fists clenched under their restraints. "And then they took us each, one by one, because they knew we were unbeatable when we were together." She couldn't help but pity him, even though she knew pity would be the last he would want. "I don't know where they are, but I know they're all here in this damn facility." He started to break free from the metal band around his wrist, pulling and struggling to get off the _goddamn restraints because he felt useless and he didn't like that feeling_ when the drugs took effect and pulled him under.

"I'll save them. . ." he said softly, words slurred because of the serum, "I'll definitely. . .save them." And his eyes closed.

She left him to sleep—leaving a kiss on his forehead—knowing she'll see him in a week.

* * *

Her heavy steps echoed in the dreary hallway, bloodshot eyes staring ahead with horror. Had she—had she really done that? She looked down at her hands, imagining the blood that now sprayed them—like the one she saw on her first day—albeit being clean physically. There was nothing she could do to wash it off.

She hadn't even noticed that her feet had led her to Natsu's experiment room. Was it that day of the week? She didn't think she could face him now. She didn't even think she could face him ever.

Deciding to steel herself, she opened the door, the sight of pink hair visibly relaxing her features. She tried to keep her movements from showing any signs of guilt, or distress, or anything that would let Natsu know that something was wrong. She was a fairly good liar, but he always saw right through her.

When he greeted her, she offered a small, polite smile, and proceeded to do her routine in a completely unfocused state.

Natsu confronted her during the fifth time she pricked her finger with the injection needle. "Something's wrong, isn't there?" It wasn't even a question.

She flinched, but told herself she shouldn't have been surprised at Natsu figuring her out. With stiff, robotic steps, she walked to his side, a forced smile on her face. This seemed to worry him more. "I broke my promise, Natsu."

When he gave her a concerned look, she finally fell to her knees, resting her head on his table. "I killed someone," she whispered, voice faint and breaking with tears. "I_ killed_ someone."

She was forced to make a choice between the man and Natsu. Brain told her she could only pick one and the other would be killed. Painfully obvious and true, she chose Natsu. And killed someone innocent. She felt so disgusted with herself.

And yet she didn't tell him all this, because she knew how he was. She knew he would blame himself for causing her even something remotely similar to _hurt_, despite her causing it upon herself. She didn't want that.

So, she silently accepted his comfort when he put his hand on top of hers, squeezing lightly.

His presence was all she needed.

* * *

At that moment, the room had an extremely eerie look to it, the little light that filtered through the dark curtains casting frightening shadows on the floor.

She stood there, shocked still at the man's words. She tried not to show him the fear in her wide eyes (but she just knew he could see right through her with those eyes that held so much knowledge).

"Doctor, could you—could you please repeat that?"

Dr. Brain kept a stern face as he handed her a glass cylinder, thick, black liquid cased inside. "Natsu Dragneel has not been responding correctly to the serum like he should." His emotionlessness unnerved her, making the fear increase. "Any failed experiments should be terminated at once."

Every part of her body froze. It was her fault. Because she's been giving him less and less of the serum. It was bad for him, she knew, the large volume of the Lacrima serum in his body, but she didn't know that it would result to this. She didn't know it would have caused him to be killed.

There was a thick bile in her throat she couldn't swallow. "U-understood, Dr. Brain." Quickly, she turned around and walked out of his office, trying to hide her twitchy movements from him or the quiver in her steps.

Once she knew she was a good distance away from the office, she looked intently at the glass container. The evil liquid inside moved in waves because of her movements, leaving faint watermarks on the glass. She stared at the thing on her hand.

She spotted a trash can ahead and poured the content of the glass before going to Natsu's room.

* * *

Her reflection in the mirror smiled back at her, making last minute touches to her uniform with delicate fingers. A random tune sounded from her closed lips.

When she woke up this morning, the sky seemed to let up for her—even though her room in the facility was always dark and gloomy like the rest of the place—as if that day was going to be a great day. And she supposed it would be, because today was Visit Natsu Day of the week. The happenings from last week were long forgotten.

She prepped quick changes before taking a deep, refreshing breath and walking out the door.

She hasn't even taken five strides before strong arms grabbed each of hers, preventing her from going any further. Struggling against her captors, she felt their grip tightening around her limb, almost cutting off the blood flow to the tips of her fingers. The scream was about to leave her mouth when a dark, low voice came from beside her, making her whip her head in the direction.

"Ms. Heartfilia," Midnight said, standing in front of her with silent, _deadly_ authority, "you have disobeyed Father." His intense stare felt like it could cut through her. "You shall be punished."

Without even waiting for her to process everything, they led her through a dimly-lit, ominous hallway.

* * *

There was the long silence that always accompanied him—the only sounds were his breaths and his fingers drumming on the metal table with impatience—before he finally heard the door swing open and close shut. Excitement seeping through his whole body, he turned to the door with a bright grin. "Lucy!"

Only it wasn't Lucy standing at the door with her sweet smile.

"Lucy?" the white-haired girl by the door said with a tilt of her head, "No, I'm Angel."

"Where's Lucy?" He grew confused. She was his nurse. Shouldn't she be there?

Angel's eyes widened for a fraction before they narrowed, her lips curling in a smirk. "Oh, she's been _really_ naughty," she said, giggling, "so she had to be punished." She started to walk towards him. "But don't worry, I'll take _really_ good care of you—"

But he stopped listening to her after hearing that sentence. Lucy was being punished. He's been punished for so many times in the past to know what was happening to Lucy.

They were going to break her.

He had to save her. She was in the _Punishment Room_ and yet he was there, uselessly, _powerlessly_ pinned to a table. He had to break free. He had to get out of there. He had to get to Lucy. Every second he wasted there, Lucy was getting hurt. Lucy was suffering. Lucy could be _dying_—

"Okay, this wouldn't hurt for long," Angel said, sadistic glee lighting up her features. A syringe was in her hand, and he noticed briefly that the serum inside was black instead of the usual cerulean. That didn't look like the serum Lucy always gave him. And in that moment, some voice whispered inside him that he was going to die, and Lucy would die with him.

The needle was a centimeter away from plunging into his skin when he grabbed Angel's wrist tightly, fist flaring with a wild red flame. He brought his face closer to hers threateningly, the restraints nothing but melted iron on the floor. "Where. Is. _Lucy_?" he asked through gritted teeth.

The girl cowered from his tight grasp and sharp, glaring eyes. "S-she's i-in R-room 127."

He didn't waste any time breaking through the door and speeding down the hallway with flaming feet.

* * *

"Lucy!"

The door gave out under the kick of his foot, falling down to the ground with broken hinges. All the doctors standing around the experiment table jumped and stared wide-eyed at him.

The scene in front of him made his anger burn hotter. Lucy was bound to the table with the same restraints, cords and needles sticking all over her body. Her breaths were quick and her skin was sickly pale. They've been experimenting on her while he was gone.

With a guttural shout similar to a roar, he launched himself at them, punching every doctor who dared stand in the way of him getting to Lucy. It didn't take long for him to get every person sprawled on the floor, unconscious. Adrenaline still coursing through heated veins, he approached Lucy.

The metal restraints immediately melted as soon as he touched them, as if afraid of experiencing his wrath. With gentle hands, he disconnected every cord and needle from her skin, careful not to hurt her by rushing and accidentally yanking something too hard. When there was nothing left restraining her—to the table, to this damn facility—he scooped her weak form into his arms, staring down at her with tender affection he only showed to her. "Let's get out of here."

And he searched for the way out, keeping the girl he loved closer to his chest.

* * *

"Father, why did you let them escape?!"

Midnight turned to the tanned man, disbelief marking his face.

Brain's eyes followed the running man and the girl carried protectively in his arms. "Because I know they'll come back." He watched with interest as they disappeared through the facility's main doors, smirking with unexplainable fascination.

"And the experiment's only just begun."

* * *

**notes:** I like making people think, even though I could've BSed the whole thing. I'm not saying I did, but I'm also saying there could be absolutely _nothing_ to it.  
**notes2:** Review and I might just tell you trololol  
**notes3:** Maybe.


	18. gift

**notes:** I really planned on updating today!  
**notes2:** I felt so inspired writing this because it was with the season.  
**notes3:** For those of you who asked (more like everyone), yes, there will be a continuation to the last one-shot (just because you guys asked for it). I'm in the process of writing it, but I've got the next 2-3 one-shots planned out sooooo yeah, maybe not in the next 2 weeks.  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, QueenP19, .Them, 12, KinKitsune01, Prisma Honeydew, misstirius, GoldenRoseTanya, Puma, greetingsfrommaars, piggycat350, Yuni-sama, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, and km28ave)!  
**notes5:** To xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, greetingsfrommaars, and km28ave, I will be giving you guys a little preview to the next one-shot (like, one small paragraph because giving you more would reveal a lot ^-^) for being the 200th reviewer and figuring out two vital plot stuff of the previous one-shot respectively (but still not the biggest one *grins*). Buuutttt, I will be sending it one day before I post the chapter to make it fair (lol fair).  
**notes6:** (18/25)  
**disclaimer:** I totally figured out who the hooded girl was (*fangirl squeal*) but I wouldn't have used that for a story (okay, I totally will, but I wouldn't be able to draw it properly).  
**summary:** Because it was a very special Christmas for both of them.

* * *

The small, comfortable house in the heart of Magnolia remained uncharacteristically quiet, completely different to how it usually was on a regular day. Silence reverberated in every corner, and the walls didn't shake with lively noises. It didn't feel like home at all.

She slumped on the couch, staring at the sky outside her window with tired eyes. Exhaustion made itself present in her features, in the way her arms sunk into the plush cushion and the way her heavy lids slid through her eyes every so often. She was just so _tired_.

In a lazy motion, she brought her hand up in front of her face, focusing her gaze on the band of gold that wrapped around her ring finger.

It's been a week. She missed him.

Sighing, Lucy Dragneel closed her eyes—before abruptly standing up and making a beeline for the bathroom, feeling her breakfast wanting to make a reappearance.

* * *

"Is Natsu still not back yet?"

Bringing her head up (with much more effort than normal), she faced the barmaid hovering over her hunched body. "No," she croaked out, resting her head down again because everything spun in her vision, "He's still on his mission somewhere far away."

Concern filled Mirajane's voice. "Oh, dear," she said, putting a hand on her chest, "Is he going to be home for Christmas?"

Christmas. It was coming in a few days. She hasn't even decorated the house yet. "I don't know," she replied meekly, sullenly. She missed him so much. She wanted him to come home for Christmas, because she knew it wouldn't be as merry without him and—

"That idiot better come home or I'll kick his ass out of the house," she gritted out. And the intense effort to keep her head up and send a glare at the wall came to her, making her groan and drop her head on her arms again.

"Are—are you alright, Lucy?" Mirajane couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah," she said, massaging her temples, "Just a bit dizzy."

The barmaid accepted her answer, and silently walked away with a knowing smile on her face.

* * *

It was a very snowy day. Snowflakes relentlessly fell on the city, blanketing the ground with white. The weather was cold, the wind blowing harshly on exposed skin. Every civilian wore thick jackets and gloves and earmuffs, protecting themselves from the below-zero temperature.

All except for her (and maybe Gray).

On her stroll to Fairy Tail, she wore her usual tank top and mini skirt, as if it was summer and it wasn't freezing. She didn't feel cold like she should. The weather didn't chill her to the bones like it should have.

"Lucy!" Gray called to her from behind, running to catch up to her. She slowed her pace and greeted him. After seeing her inappropriate attire, the ice mage fretted. "Why aren't you wearing a sweater?" he asked, an edge of panic in his normally cool voice, "Flame brain would _murder_ me and _burn_ my body if he found out I let you walk in the cold like that!"

She laughed at that. "Calm down, Gray," she said, taking pleasure in seeing him anxious about Natsu (Natsu was _way_ more powerful than him whenever it concerned her), "I would have worn thicker clothing if I felt like I would freeze my ass off."

"You're not feeling cold?" he asked, surprised.

She shook her head. "Not one bit."

Had she looked back, she would've seen the deep imprints she left on the snow, still steaming from her steps.

* * *

Fairy Tail was lively on Christmas eve. There was gift-giving, dinner, drinks (of course) and some drunken singing of carols. It was loud and comfortable, and yet she felt like she wasn't as happy as she should be.

She sat by the bar, watching the animate interactions of the guild members who were smiling and laughing and just plain merry on the holiday. She wished she could do more than just smile meekly on a very special day, but she couldn't bring herself to without him there to complete it.

"Why aren't you having fun, Lucy?" Erza asked her, gazing back at the Christmas antics of their guildmates with a thoughtful expression on her face.

She shrugged. "Just tired, I guess." Then with another moment of observing with glossy eyes, she hopped off the stool and brushed her skirt, just to keep her hands busy and give her an excuse to look down and not meet the redhead's questioning eyes. "Well, I should head home." A weak smile appeared on her face. "It's getting late."

Erza remained skeptic of her answer, but let it pass anyways, knowing it was what she needed. "Stay safe," she said, "And Merry Christmas."

Lucy returned the greeting and made her leave.

"She's lonely because he's not here, isn't she?" Two strong arms wrapped around Erza's waist, and she would have castrated who it was with a sword had she not recognized the voice.

She nodded her head. "Of course." Her eyes gazed at the still-swinging wooden doors of the guild the blond has left through. "She loved him, and she would want him to be here for Christmas with her."

Jellal sighed. "Natsu makes Lucy sad sometimes, normally without his knowing."

Erza turned around to face him. "But it's because they love each other."

The blue-haired man smiled. "I'd love to think loving you wouldn't be sad."

"Love can't always be happy," she said.

"I know it needs its hardships."

"But that's what makes it worth it."

Behind them, completely unknown (only because they were _busy_), stood Gray who watched the scene with a weirded expression on his face. "Damn, those two get more sentimental than Natsu and Lucy, I swear," he couldn't help but say, shaking his head, "Wasn't the original conversation about _Christmas_? Since when did it lead to love being worth it?"

He only realized then how weird Fairy Tail was. Or, well, Erza and Jellal. But if he said that out loud, he wouldn't survive until Christmas.

* * *

Her bedroom filled with shadows, the occasional tick-tock of the clock the only sound around it. The too-quiet atmosphere bothered her, suffocated her because the house was supposed to be deafeningly, chaotically noisy, not dead silent as if no one lived inside. She supposed that no one did, if he wasn't there.

Snow wasn't falling outside, so she could only look at a dark night outside her window. It would be Christmas in a few minutes. She blew a disappointed breath. Natsu wouldn't be with her during Christmas.

As if being able to sense her distress (she knew he always did), the window opened quietly, revealing the dragonslayer who entered the room with ease. The smile that spread on her face was uncontrollable. He was home.

"Natsu!" She got off the bed immediately and ran to him, flinging herself at him and almost knocking them both over.

"Hey, Luce," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "I made it home for Christmas."

"Idiot." She pulled back. "I knew you will."

"You know I wouldn't miss your gift for the world, right?" He grinned.

And, with a soft smile, she gave him her gift. No gift-wrapped boxes. No ribbon-tied chocolates. No material things. Just a faint, yet joyous, whisper. She looked up to him with a shine in her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

For a moment, Natsu froze, seeming to process what she said. When it finally sank in, he pulled her into a hug, catching her off-guard. "I'm going to be a father?" he asked, unsure at first. She nodded, and she could feel the happiness radiating off of him. He spun her around. "I'm going to be a father!" She giggled.

After he set her down, he gave her a tender smile. "Thank you, Lucy!" And he pecked the tip of her nose, making her squeak. He grinned. "Then here's my gift." He handed her a piece of rolled parchment and, confused, she opened it carefully.

Her eyes widened as she read the contents, and Natsu's grin grew and took up half of his face. "I finally bought it, Luce," he said, eyes lighting up, "After 7 years, I finally got enough money to buy it."

And in her hands was the deed of the Heartfilia manor.

"Natsu. . ." was all she could manage to say.

"I knew you've always wanted to buy it, so I wanted to give it to you as a gift," he said, "Well, seven years after."

She grabbed his face and pulled him down, mashing her lips with his. Natsu made a noise of surprise, but smiled and returned the kiss. When they pulled back, she leaned her forehead on his. There were tears of joy streaming down her face. "Thank you, Natsu," she said softly, "Thank you."

He smiled. "I love you, Luce."

She smiled back. "I love you, too, Natsu." She gave him a quick kiss. "Merry Christmas."

Outside, it started to snow.

* * *

**notes:** I seriously liked the idea of Natsu buying the Heartfilia manor for Lucy.  
**notes2:** Imagine this happening now, minutes before midnight (in where I am anyway).  
**notes3:** Consider your reviews as your gifts for me trololol  
**notes4:** Merry Christmas, everyone!


	19. memory

**notes:** Ohohohoho, you're in for a treat! The three people I gave previews to (which was a little late) already know this.  
**notes2:** By the sound of my evil laugh, you will know that this will not be a fluffy chapter. I'm ready to kill you guys again (with feels, okay, WITH FEELS).  
**notes3:** Last one-shot before New Year. Ending with angst! A full 180 turn from my previous one.  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (ThePartyHasEntered, Disappear500, LinkLover123, QueenP19, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, GoldenRoseTanya, NaLuLover, KinKitsune01, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, X-StarMaidenGazer-X, greetingsfrommaars, Jedias, xxJcc161xx, km28ave, Yuni-sama, NameMeLife, NaLuLoverz, and Moggadeet)! Your reviews were one of the best Christmas gifts I have ever received!  
**notes5:** I love the premise of this one-shot! When one of my friends told me about a book called "Before I Go to Sleep", I was immediately fascinated with the plot. It doesn't help that my Internet surfing somehow brought me to "50 First Dates", and it didn't help that the female protagonist's name was Lucy, too! It was just _begging_ for me to be written! So, this one-shot is not as dark as "Before I Go to Sleep", but not as light as "50 First Dates".  
**disclaimer:** Well, if I owned Fairy Tail, I would probably kill the fans by not updating after giving them an intense cliffhanger (in the manga). On second thought, maybe I _do_ own Fairy Tail. But seriously, no.  
**summary:** Because everyday she woke up, and everyday she forgot about him.

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open, waking up to a calm morning. She felt cotton sheets on her back and a soft pillow under her head. The mattress creaked as she lied on her back.

Halfway through the action, she stopped short, eyes widening. There was a warm arm draped around her midsection, an arm of a man she didn't know. A scream of horror ripped from her throat.

The man's eyes snapped open, showing her dark orbs of captivating black. This man was a stranger (a strange stranger with pink hair). What was he doing in her bed beside her? Or rather. . . She looked around the room, finally realizing the unfamiliarity of it all. What was _she_ doing in this person's bed?

"Wh-wh-who are you?!" she exclaimed, pulling the blanket up to shield her body (which was fully-clothed, but still. . .this man was a stranger, a stranger—).

Something akin to hurt flashed in the man's eyes, but it disappeared before she could catch it. She still continued to stare accusingly at him as he looked scared and ashamed of his action. "I-I'm sorry," he said, voice uncharacteristically weak (and she wondered how she knew it was uncharacteristic, how she knew that the voice was supposed to be strong and full of determination. He was a stranger yet he was so familiar—), "I didn't mean to scare you." He looked off to the side as he ran his fingers through his unruly, spiky hair.

"Who _are_ you?" she asked, more intent this time after gaining some courage.

The man gave her a weak smile, and something unexplainable stirred inside her at the sadness she saw in his eyes. She felt like crying.

"I'm your husband, Luce."

* * *

The screen blacked out, indicating that the video has ended, and yet she couldn't take her eyes off the television. The large, glaring wedding photo that hung on the wall to her right. The picture on her hand of her and the man, both smiling brightly and obviously in love. The wedding ring on her finger that sparkled from the morning light. The _warmth_ and _tenderness_ in the man's manner of talking to her. She really felt that he loved her so much. And yet—

"I can't. . . I can't remember anything about you," she said, gazing down at the diamond on her ring (which she didn't know how it was put there). Her heart clenched at the hurt she just _knew_ was evident on his face, but she didn't know what to do. She could remember her childhood and the few moments shortly before her car crashed into a tree so clearly, but she can't recall anything about this man called Natsu even though she knew he loved her and that there was a feeling inside her that maybe she loved him too and her heart didn't forget—

But she did. And she can't trust anything in this unfamiliar world.

"You go through this everyday since the accident I saved you from five years ago," he said softly, "When you wake up, you forget everything that happened the day before. Everyday, you go back to being the 20-year old before the crash."

She found herself voicing her thoughts. "How did you stay with me for that long?"

The couch dipped down when he leaned back, eyes staring at the ceiling. "I saw different sides of the woman I loved everyday." She turned to him the same time he did, and he grinned at her. "Even though she couldn't remember me, she was still Lucy, and she was still the woman I fell in love with."

Tears brimmed in her eyes without her knowing, blurring her vision of the warm grin. "I'm sorry." And she just hugged him tight, because this was the least she could do for this poor man she forgot who stood by her unwaveringly.

He returned the embrace just as tight, and she felt his longing and sadness. "I miss you."

And the emotions burst in her chest.

* * *

"N-Natsu!" She blushed as he tugged at her hand, pulling her somewhere. "Where are we going?"

Natsu gave her a bright grin (she's grown accustomed to it, and she realized she loved his grin). "We only get a few hours every day, so we should live it to the fullest."

A few hours wasn't enough, she knew, but it was all they had.

* * *

"Wow!"

The tall Ferris wheel loomed in front of her, and she couldn't suppress the childlike excitement that made her stomach do cartwheels. She wouldn't admit it, but she was happy to see at least one familiar thing in this unfamiliar world.

"Let's ride it!" he exclaimed with the normal enthusiasm he always exuded (again, she didn't know how she knew that. Little tidbits seemed to resurface every now and then). The hand holding hers pulled her towards the line.

"But aren't you going to get motion-sick?" she laughingly said, the words slipping out of her mouth in habit. They both halted their steps with shock.

"You knew?" Natsu asked, an unbidden edge of hope in his voice.

"I. . ." she started, uncertain, "I guess I did."

Sometimes she surprised herself with unconsciously knowing little details about Natsu. She knew him (there was no denying that she did, even if she didn't remember) and even though it seemed like she was getting to know him for the first time, she had a feeling she knew him inside out.

(_Because maybe she loved him just as much as he did._)

"Come on, Lucy." His voice snapped her back to the amusement park.

After a few moments of composing herself, she asked, "You're still coming with me, even if you know you won't feel well riding it?"

"You've always enjoyed riding it." He flashed her a smile so thoughtful and rueful she thought her heart would melt (because her heart never forgot what she felt). "Just seeing you happy is enough for me."

(_And she was happy, because deep inside, she wanted to see him happy, too._)

* * *

Her teeth sunk into the delicious food, almost scarfing everything on the plate down and forgetting her manners. Well, Natsu already did that for her.

"We always used to eat here," he said in between mouthfuls, "and that was always your favorite."

And it was. She remembered going to the restaurant they were in frequently. . .until the car crash. Still, it was a wonder he knew her favorite.

(_Was it really such a wonder?_)

She shook off her thoughts and, instead, thanked Natsu for the food.

* * *

The ball knocked down the heavy bottle on the topmost shelf, making it fall to the ground and smash into pieces. She let out a shout of joy with Natsu's whoop as they won the game. The displeased man who owned the (rigged) carnival game sullenly pointed to the big hanging stuffed toys above their heads, unwillingly gesturing for them to get a price. Natsu took a big, white snowman (or was it a dog?) from the prices and handed it to her with a sense of accomplishment around him. She accepted it with a big smile and rewarded him with a big hug. "Thank you, Natsu!"

"Do you like it?" he asked, hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I love it!" she replied, eyes lighting up. She leaned in quickly and planted a kiss on his cheek.

As soon as she realized what she just did, she took a step back, her face blushing a deep red. She remembered it being the first time she kissed him, but the gesture felt so natural it shocked her.

(_But then she loved him, so there really was no surprise there._)

To her surprise, she felt a quick peck on her lips.

* * *

The river shone under the moon's light, ripples appearing on the surface of the water with every jump of a fish. Stars dotted the black night sky, twinkling and shining and illuminating a dark, dark world.

They both sat on a bench by the riverside, his arm wrapped around her with his heartbeat pounding on her cheek. She could feel the rhythmic lob-dob in his chest, and the sound sent a comforting calm through her whole body.

"I don't want to sleep," she said, weaving her fingers with his, watching as their rings glinted together under the moon.

She could hear the melancholy in his voice. "I wish it was that easy."

"It's not," she can't help but say softly, forlornly.

"But everything's worth it." He pulled her closer. "You're worth it, Lucy."

It felt like a dam was destroyed because all her feelings seemed to be released from being blocked away and she was already crying. "I love you, Natsu," she whispered, tender and affectionate.

Her eyelids felt heavier with each second, and she knew she was close to sleep. "Even if I forget," she said, a painful ache in her heart, "I want you to remember that I love you. . ."

She closed her eyes.

". . .Always. . ."

Then her even breaths and light snores filled the silence after. He looked down at her with deep sadness, but still tried to smile shakily, as if she would see.

"Goodnight, Luce."

He wiped off her tears and planted a soft, lingering kiss on her forehead, pouring out all the love he felt for her.

His eyes gazed at the sky, holding the girl who would soon forget him closer to his chest. Hoping she would recognize him as she woke up.

Tomorrow would be a new day.

* * *

_And the cycle continues._

* * *

**notes:** Just to put it out there, Natsu knew about Lucy's condition, but despite that, he still married her. (Not helping, I know)  
**notes2:** A little comfort: "The mind may forget, but the heart doesn't." -I don't know, I just made that up.  
**notes3:** GASP! Was that to say that even if Lucy forgot about who Natsu was everyday, she still remembered she loved him? *whistles innocently*  
**notes4:** Don't forget to leave a review? (Bad pun)  
**notes5:** I'll be looking forward to hearing about your anguish.  
**notes6:** So sadistic OMG


	20. drunk

**notes:** Well, this is short.  
**notes2:** I know, not helping my case considering I posted late, but I wasn't feeling well and school started today and ugh.  
**notes3:** This story was written because, for some reason, I find these kinds of stories cute.  
**notes4:** I'm having a bad, bad case of Writer's Block, and I don't know whyyyy.  
**notes5:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (Jedias, Deathh by Cherries, Monika-chan, wolfhead, Moggadeet, Fuuga GF, NameMeLife, Yuni-sama, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, Disappear500, LinkLover123, Zipperz Kester, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, misstirius, Long Hu Renzhe, NaLuLoverz, PhoenixBear, GoldenRoseTanya, km28ave, and Guest)! You guys are awesome.  
**notes6:** Well, since I killed you last one-shot, here's a fluffy one!  
**disclaimer:** If I owned Fairy Tail, it would be a shoujo manga and everyone would be paired with someone. Then I'll bring a sad plot twist mwahahaha  
**summary:** Because even when he was intoxicated, Natsu liked Lucy more than anyone.

* * *

She pushed the door open with her hip, the task itself presenting a challenge. Much more with a half-conscious Natsu slung across her shoulder. He absolutely reeked of alcohol and booze, and she crinkled her nose at the strong smell. How much did he drink?

With a grunt at every step, she finally reached his bed (which took so much effort) and dumped him on the mattress unceremoniously, the pink-haired boy landing face-first on the cotton blanket with his feet hanging from the bed. He made no movements to indicate discomfort, just continuing to doze off. She sighed. "I swear I'll kill Gray tomorrow." The raven, after learning what happened between the two of them, thought it was the best opportunity to drag her boyfriend to a bar. Of course she didn't think it was a great idea. "You're gonna feel like crap tomorrow with hangover and I do _not_ want to be the one to deal with that."

Natsu's light snores reached her ears, making her eyes soften. She sat next to his lying form on the bed, the mattress dipping down under her weight. "Is this how you're going to deal with the fight, Natsu?" Then the thought hit her that it wasn't fully his fault (not even most), and yet he was the one more affected. She was too harsh on him. "I'm sorry."

Realizing she had to prepare him for bed (despite him being asleep already), she turned his body over and started unbuttoning his shirt to change his clothes.

"Stop."

Her hands halted, skin jumping at the stern command. She quickly went into a fast garble of words to explain herself (because, really, how can she ever say that what she was doing wasn't what it looked like?), a deep red hue filling her face. But when she looked at his face—eyes closed and mouth hanging open—she saw that he was still deep in slumber. Did he just talk in his sleep?

He slurred more words, eyes still closed and breathing still deep and even. "I have a girlfriend," he said.

What was Natsu talking about? She was his girl—oh. _Oh_. A big smile spread on her face. In his stupor, Natsu probably thought she was some other girl throwing herself at him (which really did happen a lot), and yet he didn't give in, even further asserting the fact that he had _her_. Really, how lucky was she to get him?

Natsu moved further up the bed (still asleep, and she had to briefly wonder how), and splayed his limbs on the mattress. She was about to pull the blankets up to cover him when he spoke again, a barely coherent mumble but audible to her ears. "Only—only Lucy can do that to me." There was a smile on his face as he said that, and she wondered just how _innocent_ and _dense_ her boyfriend really was before chuckling softly, tucking him in his blankets. Sitting on the edge of his bed, she stared at him with so much affection and stroked his scalp, weaving the pink spikes of his hair in her fingers.

* * *

"Come on, Natsu! Let's go eat at that new restaurant you wanted to go to!"

He stared at his girlfriend's smiling face with wide, disbelieving eyes, then back to his rival's (best friend) black-and-blue face. Which was perfectly fine minutes ago before Lucy smiled an evil smile (that sent chills down his spine) and proceeded to punch the guy in the face for inviting him for a drink and getting him drunk the night before. He exchanged a look with Gray. "Wasn't she supposed to be mad at me?" he asked when she was out of earshot.

"That's what I thought, too!" Gray replied back.

He was confused. "Then why is she treating me to lunch?" As if realizing why, his eyes widened in fear. "Oh shit," he said, "Is that how she's gonna punish me?!"

"Be careful, man." Gray patted his shoulder. "Whenever she's that nice to you, it usually means you did something wrong."

Natsu could only hope he didn't do something stupid while he was drunk.

* * *

**notes:** At least I hope it satisfied some fluff needs.  
**notes2:** I have a weakness for the guy-is-drunk-but-is-still-faithful type of stories. I can't help but say 'Awwww!' whenever I read them.  
**notes3:** Soooo what are you waiting for? Make me drunk with reviews!  
**notes4:** Not _actual_ drunk. I'm not legal trololol


	21. nightclub

**notes:** It seems like your author has been making it a habit to post late. Tsk tsk tsk  
**notes2:** And apparently, to repay you, she also posted a short one-shot (Really sorry for its length, but, like the last one-shot, this was made in a moment of inspiration and I couldn't add anything anymore).  
**notes3:** Buuuutttt, she _is_ finishing 3 one-shots (yes, at the same time), and they are all something to look forward to (even _I'm_ excited to finish them). The next one-shot is so long it took me almost a month to finish it (and counting).  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list and those who reviewed (QueenP19, km28ave, wolfhead, 1fairytaillover, JackQuake, LinkLover123, Moggadeet, misstirius, Yuni-sama, xxJcc161xx, GoldenRoseTanya, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, PhoenixBear, and Kitty Redheart)! I don't know how you guys put up with me lol  
**notes5:** This one-shot is about one of them being intoxicated, and I don't exactly know where that came from.  
**disclaimer:** Does Mashima spend every moment of his life thinking that Natsu and Lucy should totally just kiss already? Okay, there's a possibility that he does, but I don't think he writes fanfiction. Soooo, no, I'm not Mashima-san and therefore, I do not own Fairy Tail.  
**summary:** Because under the hazy lights and loud music, she was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

* * *

The walls shook with the intense vibrations from the stereos of the club. Neon lights swam in all directions of his eyesight, making him dizzy just by looking at them. The rock music blared too loud in his ears that intensified the pounding in his head. A shot of whiskey remained half-full on his table, him never touching it again after his last sip. He was already buzzed enough to last him for the night.

He didn't want to be here (much) anyway. The sounds were far too loud for his liking (it didn't help that he had sensitive hearing), and the whole place was a room full of alcohol-induced, tightly-clad people just waiting to jump on the stranger next to them. But, he sighed as he looked around the mass of heads, his best friend was here, and he couldn't very well leave her to herself in a place like this. His eyes searched the dance floor and cursed. Damn, he lost her again.

"Who are you looking for, Natsu?" A high-pitched voice was heard in front of him, followed by a giggle. He looked up to see his blond companion gazing down at him, eyes too glossy and hazy to be anywhere near sober.

"Are you drunk?" he asked, eying her warily.

She smiled widely. "Maybe a little." She walked closer to him. "So, who?" A flirtatious smirk curled her lip-glossed lips. "A person to take home?"

He scowled as she sat on the chair across his. "No," he said, "I was looking for a blond best friend who shouldn't be left alone."

"Oh, come on, Natsu." Her quiet laughters hung in the air as she hit him on the shoulder lightly. "Cheer up and have fun."

He shook his head. "I don't think so." His idea of fun was playing a sport or kicking Gray's ass. This was not his kind of fun.

The bright glint in Lucy's eyes did not disappear. If ever, it glowed more. "Why don't you go to the dance floor?"

He briefly looked at the flashing squares of the lively dance floor before giving the obviously-too-intoxicated-to-stand-up-straight girl a deadpan look. "You want me to grind with drunk, sexually active girls?"

She giggled again, and he started to get annoyed at the sound. "No, silly." Her hands grabbed his, dragging him to the lighting floor. "I want you to dance with _me_."

Seeing no point in struggling (Lucy always got what she wanted, after all), he sighed in resignation and let her pull him.

The first thing he noticed upon arrival at the dance floor was the crazy lights flashing _everywhere_. The second was the music that seemed to shake his whole being. The third was Lucy bumping his hip with hers. "What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"Just do the same thing, Natsu," she said, "It's how you dance." Groaning inwardly, he put little effort in imitating Lucy, obvious on his face that he was _not_ enjoying any of this. Then his best friend grabbed both his hands and started swinging them both around, and he found that Lucy's excitement was so infectious he couldn't stop the grin on his face as he danced (more enthusiastic this time, actually putting effort). Not before long, they were bumping hips together and swinging each other around and shaking their bodies and just plain having _fun_. He didn't even seem to mind the dizzying lights and the pumping music anymore. All he thought was how Lucy looked so damn _beautiful_ under the haziness and stuffiness of the disco club.

Then the lights dimmed more on the dance floor, the music slowing down to soft, flowing jazz, and he barely comprehended when Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his body closer to hers. "Uh, Luce?" he asked, hiding his blush under the whitewashing lights.

"Shhh," Lucy said, resting her head on his chest, "Don't ruin the moment."

He hesitantly circled his arms around the curves of her waist, looking away as he did. Still, it didn't mean he didn't like it. Because what was not to like with being able to hold the girl you like in your arms?

"Hey, Natsu." Lucy's soft voice brought him back to the romantic atmosphere of the club. She looked up to him, body still pressed against his. She smiled at him (in a sincere, sweet Lucy-esque way), and the look on her face seemed completely sober at that moment, without any hints of alcoholic dazes and glazed eyes. "I like you, you know."

Shock flitted in his features. But before he could respond ("I like you, too, Luce. For a while now actually. But would you believe I was nervous to ask you out? Me, _the_ Natsu Dragneel, is afraid to ask his best friend to be his girlfriend even though many people already told him she liked him and—"), Lucy closed her eyes and lifted herself up, pressing her lips to his. After a moment of processing (he swore his mind blanked out and short-circuited at the sudden contact), his lips moved to return the kiss, tightening his hold around her.

It was ironic how the best moment of his life happened at the place he hated the most.

* * *

**notes:** GAH, why is this so short?!  
**notes2:** This is totally random, I know.  
**notes3:** But I still hope you guys liked it.  
**notes4:** Remember, the more you like it (and you tell me you did), the faster I could finish those 3 wonderful one-shots! (I'm not even being subtle by putting some lame pun out there lol) Make me drunk with your revie—nah, just kidding!


	22. pirate

**notes:** ZOMG this is one long one-shot.  
**notes2:** Aaannnddd, as I get over my "drunk" phase, here's an AU *evil laugh*  
**notes3:** I can feel my writing pace slowing down. That is not good.  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Alerts/Favorites list, and to those who reviewed (ThePartyHasEntered, QueenP19, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, Zipperz Kester, misstirius, Linklover, nalua93, beatress, 1fairytaillover, Nya Nya Nya, PhoenixBear, greetingsfrommaars, Yuni-sama, and Guest)! You guys are the reason I write!  
**disclaimer:** I think Mashima doesn't need to do homework. I wish I didn't.  
**summary:** Because the best adventure is only a pirate ship away.

* * *

_Once upon a time, there was a princess who wanted to go on an adventure. She wasn't allowed by her strict father, so she escaped her castle secretly behind his back. When she wandered to a city, a famous pirate, who was currently boarded there, offered to let her onto his ship. She came with him, and that's how the story of their adventure began._

* * *

"I can't believe this."

The salty breeze blew her blond hair, strands of yellow billowing in the wind behind her. She firmly planted her hands on her hips, a disapproving look on her face. "_You're _the infamous Salamander of the Pirates?"

"Ugh. . . Luce," the captain of the ship _Fairy Tail_ grumbled to her. His body hunched over the side of the ship, face green with sickness and nausea. Cheeks swelled up, he barely managed to swallow an incoming vomit. "You're too noisy. Stop being—" he lurched forward, "—ugh. . .weird."

Her cheeks flared up. "_I'm_ weird?" She took steps closer to him, too tempted to just throw him overboard. "You're the pirate with seasickness!"

The leader of the Fairy Tail pirates mustered as much irritation as he can in that state. "I brought you with me, Luce," he said, glaring a little, "Have some sympathy."

"But I paid you!" she exclaimed, indignant eyes staring at the captain, "I paid you to help me escape my father!"

Natsu seemed like he wanted to say something more—probably a retort—but the sick feeling overtook him and he hung from the side of the boat limply.

Feeling pity at his condition, she hesitantly rubbed his back.

* * *

The ship completely lit up in the dark night. Music was being played, drinks served, and people were dancing lively on the deck. Everyone seemed to be having so much fun.

She found out from her brief stay on the ship that Fairy Tail was a close-knit band of pirates. They had differences (a _lot_ of differences that they settled with brawls), but they were family.

And they had fun almost every night with parties.

Her eyes gazed at the smiling people having merriment in front of her, noticing the fun and happiness radiating off of them. A few people had asked her to join them, but she politely turned them down, choosing to be a spectator.

"Hey, what are you doing out here alone?"

She turned her head to look at the pink-haired captain. There was a silent invitation in his eyes. "Why don't you join them?"

His invitation was one thing she couldn't turn down, and she found herself telling the truth. "I just—I don't feel like I belong." Realizing the implication of her sentence on the captain, she hastily made up for her mistake. "I-I mean, everyone's nice and all, and I feel that they all accept me, but—" She paused, mulling over what came next. "But I also feel like there's something that separates me from you and everyone else." _Probably your status_, a voice in her said, and it made her not want to think into it.

Natsu snorted. "Luce, you're as weird as everyone else on this ship. I'm pretty sure you fit in." She glared at him with no real anger behind and he laughed, amused. "Come on," he held out a hand, "Let's officially welcome you to my band of misfits."

And she spent the whole night smiling and interacting with the pirates and dancing with Natsu under the stars.

* * *

Usually the day after the party was when the whole crew cleaned up the entire deck. Remnants of the gathering the day before were swept away and put in bins. A group of people had brooms (designated as the ones to sweep the deck), another had sponges (as they were unlucky enough to be assigned the swabbing duty), while others who were barehanded picked up empty bottles of liquor (lucky people who didn't have to put much effort).

She stood in a corner, detached from all of them. It wasn't that she didn't want to help (she wasn't the stereotypical spoiled princess, mind you), but it was just that everyone moved so systematically and organized that she didn't know where she would fit. Natsu didn't exactly give her a duty (and she'd like to think it was because he didn't want her to clean and treated her as a guest) before he ran to his lounge to rest (or barf, but she also had a suspicion there was some drug he usually took to lessen the effects of sickness, mostly during important times. . .or parties).

"Oi, Princess!" A gruff, disdained voice shouted from in front of her, jolting her to the present. The studded pirate, Gajeel, gave her a deep scowl she couldn't help but return. "You're not just lounging here while we work!"

She sent him a glare despite feeling his intimidating aura. "_I want to help_," she said through gritted teeth, "but Natsu didn't exactly give me a job to do."

Gajeel let out a laugh, low and mocking. "Maybe because he didn't _think_ you can handle it."

Her eyes flared up dangerously. "I _know_ Natsu trusts me enough to bring me to this ship."

The pirate grunted, crossing his big, muscular arms over his chest. It intimidated her more, and she had to keep her knees from shaking under her dress. "Well, I don't," he said, eyes narrowed into slits, "I don't think you're brave enough to _be_ with Fairy Tail."

She couldn't keep the indignation in her voice. "I _am_ brave enough, and I'll prove that to you."

"Fine." Gajeel smirked, and she couldn't miss the challenging tone. "Then prove it," he pointed upwards and her eyes followed it, "by climbing up to the Crow's Nest and jumping down to the deck."

Her eyes widened for a fraction, but she immediately masked the fear.

"Are you trying to kill her?!" Another voice joined in, high-pitched and worried, as she dropped the broom she was holding. Levy came beside Gajeel and glared at him, fists clenched in front of her small frame.

"None of yer business, shrimp." The towering man didn't even bother looking at the blue-haired girl.

"Stop this instant, Gajeel," Erza said, coming to join the tense fight, "Natsu will not tolerate any of this."

Gajeel only regarded her with an indifferent stare. "Natsu can't do _shit_." He turned to her again, something razor-sharp in his grin. "So, Princess, are you up for it?"

Taking a deep breath, and renewing the fire of determination in her eyes, she said, "Yes, I'll do it."

"Lu-chan!" Levy shouted, "You don't have to do it! We already accepted you without you having to prove it!" Beside her, Erza held a hard expression, as if piercing her with a stare to stop her.

But despite them preventing her with all their might and her knees threatening to give out from under her in fear, she nodded her head firmly. "Just you watch, Gajeel."

And she stood under the net leading to the Crow's Nest, climbing up one foot at a time.

* * *

The mattress creaked as he shifted his weight to the side, groaning at the added motion. Face green, he cracked an eye open, cursing as his vision swam. Why was he a pirate again?

Outside, he could hear noises and buzzes, but deemed it normal. It wasn't like Fairy Tail was _ever_ quiet. Shouts continued to reach his room.

"_Lucy!_"

His eyes snapped open immediately at the mention of the name. Whatever was going on outside involved the princess. Suddenly, he felt worry cloud his chest, just like it always did when it concerned the blond. Getting up (and ignoring the heavy feeling when he did it so abruptly), he picked up the tablet on his bedside table (Troia was very effective) and downed it without water.

He ran towards the deck without a moment's hesitation.

* * *

Her hair whipped across her face, her skirt flying because of the strong gusts of wind. From where she was standing, the people below looked like mere ants, but Gajeel's smirk was as clear as day. She clutched the wooden pole tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

This was a stupid mistake. Gajeel's acceptance was worth less than risking her life. She shouldn't have listened to her pride. But she's made it this far, she thought, and going back down was worse than death.

So, she climbed up the wooden railing of the Nest, feet dramatically shaky, and closed her eyes. The wood was still tightly clutched in her balled-up fist.

She would let go when she was ready.

* * *

The door to the deck flung open from the force of his push, but he found that he didn't care about how splinters of the wood flew in different directions, or how the door would need repairing after. Caring more for Lucy, he grabbed the nearest of his crew by the collar and asked him intently. "What happened to Lucy?"

The frightened pirate quickly pointed to the Crow's Nest, where he saw a figure perched on the edge. His eyes widened almost immediately because _that figure was Lucy and what the __**hell**__ was she doing up there?_

"Holy shit," he exclaimed as he dropped the man, running towards a now falling princess, "Lucy!"

The run to her spot seemed so long and so slow to him. It felt like he wasn't fast enough and there was not enough time to catch her, and dread filled his whole body at the thought. There was no way he was letting her touch the ground. He _can't_.

He slid on the deck just barely before she landed, catching her in his arms and cushioning her fall. The slide continued for a few more seconds before slowing down and stopping altogether. He clutched to her tighter. "Luce, are you okay?!" he asked, worried and scared.

Her wide eyes stared at him, and the fear was reflected in them so clearly that anger started to flare up inside him. She trembled in his hold before letting out a shaky sigh. "Yeah," she replied, stare unfocused, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Still not releasing her, he stood up, enraged eyes searching the deck. "Who the hell did this?!"

From the corner of his vision, he saw Levy step forward. "It was Gajeel, Natsu," she said, surprisingly brave, "He dared Lu-chan to jump off the Crow's Nest to prove herself."

The thought sank in, and his vision turned red in fury. "Gajeel!" he bellowed, fangs bared and eyes glaring. He spotted the man standing impassively on the side, and it took him every energy in his body not to beat him to death. "Why the fuck would you do that?!"

Gajeel said nothing, and his chest heaved up and down in an attempt to calm himself. "I want to do nothing but feed you to the sharks," he said, voice menacingly low, "but you're one of my prized pirates, so I'm just sentencing you to clean the whole ship for a year."

Carrying a shaken Lucy, he walked down the deck to bring her to her room. As he passed Gajeel, he said threateningly, "But if this ever happens again, I won't hesitate to dangle you off the side of the ship and impale you with a sword myself."

And he kept the princess close to his chest protectively as he walked away.

* * *

_"You're so lucky Luce is alive, or else you would've suffered the worst death I could give you."_

_"You gotta admit, it did give you hero points."_

_"Shut up."_

* * *

The whole interior of her room shook as another rumble reverberated in the wooden walls. Frames that previously hung from the wall were now fallen on the ground because of the intense vibrations, glass (that was shielding the picture) shattered around it. The bed rocked and trembled with a worrying creak, and the piece of furniture felt like its legs would give out at any minute.

Natsu had vehemently told her to stay in her room, firmly ordering her _never_ to set foot even for an _inch_ outside her doorframe. From the urgency and desperation in his voice—albeit concealed for her sake—she knew the situation was gravely dangerous. He even went as far as to assign Reedus to stay with her and make sure she didn't try to disobey. It wasn't that he doubted her, she knew, but because he wanted to make sure she remained safe.

Still, it scared her out of her mind knowing that Natsu was out there, risking his life while she did nothing but let Fairy Tail protect her and shield her. The captain didn't tell her the reason they were being bombed and attacked, but she had an inkling, a strong suspicion, that it was because of her. And it only made her want to tear the door open and rush to him.

"Your Highness," Reedus, who was sketching her from the other side of the room, gave her a look of mixed confidence and trepidation, "Don't worry. Natsu-san and Fairy Tail would win this fight." He glided the pencil on the paper. "We always do."

She gave him a weak smile, the statement appeasing her worries for only a little. This sitting-around-doing-nothing was killing her. Her patience and control could only last for so long.

Another deafening blast shook the room almost to ruins, the ceiling dangerously close to falling on them, and she suddenly couldn't take it anymore. If it was this perilous inside her room, then who knows how much more it was right on the battlefield. Just the thought made her insides churn with a painful, suffocating twist.

While Reedus was still distracted with picking himself off the floor, she inwardly apologized to him before grabbing her whip and making a mad dash for the deck.

* * *

The deck of the ship was plunged in chaos, much more than she had imagined. Not one member of Fairy Tail was not involved in their own fight, some outnumbered by the band of black-clothed pirates. Erza, who had her sword raised in an offensive stance, was completely surrounded with 20 or so armed men. Gray and Juvia were leaning on each other's backs as they handled their own 20 enemies. Mirajane was taking down pirate after pirate, tearing through their barricade around her like a demon awakened from her sleep. Off to a corner of the ship, Gajeel was nursing an unconscious Levy, a look of undeniable worry filling his studded face.

But Natsu was nowhere to be found.

Dread numbing her insides, she forced her feet to move forward with every hard will she possessed (will to move, will to live, will to _find Natsu_—), only for a rough hand to seize her wrist with a jerk. Being yanked to turn around, she was brought face-to-face with a man oozing with malicious intent. Her eyes automatically formed a glare.

"Get your hands off me, Jose," she spat at him.

The captain of the infamous Phantom Lord pirates grinned at her, white teeth gleaming with a mischievous shine. "I'm sorry, Princess Lucy," he said, mock gentlemanliness in his voice, "but your father had ordered us to bring you back."

She tried to free herself from his vice-like grip. "Go to hell."

A grimace contorted her features when he twisted her arm in a way she knew it should not be twisted (effectively making her drop her whip). She bit down her lips to suppress a scream. "Listen here, Heartfilia," Jose leaned his face towards hers, and she inwardly gagged, "I'm not a very nice person, but if you would just be a good, obedient captive so we can loot your rich father of all his money, then nothing bad will happen to you."

Lips pulled back in a snarl, her body shook in anger. How—how _dare_ he! In her intense want to _make him miserable_ even a little, she did what she could at that moment, disarmed of her only weapon, restricted of escaping.

She brought her knee up in an abrupt motion, the bone connecting with the man's groin painfully. Jose jerked away from her, writhing in pain and clutching his manhood with an ugly, contorted expression on his face. Satisfaction briefly flared in her chest before a hard push brought her sprawled on the wooden floor of the deck, the point of a sword mere centimeters from touching the skin of her neck. "I wasn't planning on killing you, Princess, but you left me with no choice," Jose said, voice dripping with malice, "After I'm done with you, I'll burn this ship and kill everyone on it," a curled smirk appeared on his lips, making her fear the worst, "starting with that damned captain, Natsu."

Paralyzed in fear (for Natsu, never for herself), she could only squeeze her eyes shut as the sword sailed towards her chest. Anticipating a pierce, a surprised gasp escaped her lips when she felt herself being pushed down, her head hitting the floor with a soft thud. There was a brief moment of clutching her head before it came to her that _someone saved her_. Cracking a cautious eye open, she found herself looking at a maroon cape, fluttering in the strong wind, matched with a shock of spiky pink hair. She felt relief and happiness course through her. Natsu had saved her.

A pained cry brought her attention to the Phantom Lord pirate looming over them, a sword through his stomach. Natsu pulled the weapon out with a metallic sound, standing up with new-gained confidence over his dominance. "Get off this ship, Porla," he said with a hard, authorizing voice, "You've already lost."

And it was true. Fairy Tail has defeated Phantom Lord, the latter's forces fallen on the floor. Seeing this, Jose had no other choices left but to retreat. "We will fall back, for now," he said, directing his gaze to her, "but we will be back, I assure you, to take the Princess from your hands."

Natsu stood in front of her protectively, matching Jose's gaze with a ferocious glare. "I won't let that happen," he said through gritted teeth, "You won't take Lucy from me."

Even in his wounded state, the captain of Phantom Lord could still let out a laugh that sent chills down her spine. "We'll see about that when you're dead." A tense moment of charged atmosphere passed, and the enemy pirates clothed in black boarded back to their ship. "Farewell, Fairy Tail."

Still shaken from the encounter, she turned to her captain. "Natsu?" she asked, worried he might be mad at her.

But Natsu didn't answer, choosing to stand still and remain silent. Her worry increased. "Natsu, I'm sorry I—"

Suddenly, Natsu brought his hands up to the side of his neck, falling to the deck on his knees. She went in front of him, holding his shoulders. "Natsu! What's wrong? Are you okay?"

And then she saw it. Trails of blood seeping through his fingers, crimson flowing down the side of his shirt and filling it with a dark red color. The bleeding did not look like it would stop any sooner.

In her shock, she managed to call out to her crew mates ("Mira! Erza! Anyone! Natsu—Natsu's hurt! Please, get him to the infirmary!") before Natsu passed out and fell to her chest.

* * *

"Natsu!"

The door of the infirmary flew open, her quick steps on the floor sounding clearly in the almost-empty room. She wasted no time to approach Natsu's bedside, throwing a flurry of barely understandable sentences at the captain on the bed. "Natsu! Are you okay? Are you in pain? Do you need anything? You have to rest or your injury. . . How bad is it—will you be alright?!"

The pink-haired pirate let out a laugh at her worries, but it became a fit of coughs moments after that got her frantic all over again.

That was the time she assessed his body's condition. There were a few small bandages here and there, most likely from fighting a few small fries of Jose's army. Other than that, there was nothing else life-threatening. The deep wound on his neck was the worst of them all, it seemed. If he didn't acquire it, he would've survived the battle almost unscathed.

Wendy had done an excellent job sealing up the wound, a stitch-less burning of the blood for it to clot, but not any less painful. They've kept her away from the infirmary when Natsu was being treated (because she was in hysterics and the only way they could calm her down was through sedatives), but she knew he must've been in so much pain. He probably screamed his throat raw (and she wasn't there to hold his hand and comfort him and help him get through it) and she hated herself more. The scar it left, prominently darker than the skin around it, was a glaring evidence to her, the proof of her own inability to do anything.

(_And of Natsu's strong resolve to protect her no matter what_.)

She took his hand in both of hers, holding it close to her chest. "Natsu, this is all my fault," she said, choking at the end. Hot, regretful tears trailed down her cheeks. "If you didn't save me," she squeezed her eyes shut as a wave of guilt passed through her chest and stayed there, a heavy feeling inside her, "Jose wouldn't have been able to wound you like this!"

He only gave her a grin, wide but crooked. A wince presented itself on his face when he tried to move his head to better look at her, but he tried his best to hide it (_and she still noticed_). "Don't worry, Luce," he said, voice sounding with the usual exuberance, but something about it seemed painfully forced, "It's just a scratch."

Deep inside, she knew it wasn't a mere scratch, because no scratch would bleed that much (and no small wound would hurt him that much). But instead of screaming at his stupid decision ("Natsu, you idiot! You should've just let me die!"), she sank to her knees and cried on his crumpled sheets, his hand on the crown of her head comfortingly. "I'm so glad—" she hiccupped and let out a sob, "I'm so glad you're safe. . ."

Natsu didn't say anything, and remained silent as she cried.

* * *

A wide grin on his face, he made his way to Lucy's room, excitement rolling off of him in tangible waves. There was practically a bounce in his booted steps and he did not mind it one bit when Ice Bastard teased him about it ("Hey, Flame Brain, you look like a freaking ballerina with how you're walking! I was just waiting for you to hike up your skirt and skip!"). Not to say he wasn't going to make the raven clean the lavatories with Gajeel. He was just letting this slide _today_, because today was a happy day.

The ship has just stopped at a big port (Hargeon, was it?), and there was a restaurant on the city that he had always wanted to go to. Lucy would make good company (and an even better financier).

His food-filled fantasies stopped, however, when he noticed the door of Lucy's room ajar, allowing him a small peek inside. He didn't see anyone, unusually couldn't sense any movement from the inside. Worry slowly inching its way to his heart, he opened the door slowly with a resounding creak, and peered inside with observant but careful eyes.

And all that was there was an empty chamber.

Restraining himself from jumping into conclusions quickly (for all he knew, Lucy could've just made a _long_ trip to the bathroom—girls were like that, right?—or at least that's what he hoped), he searched the room for any leads on the princess' whereabouts. Abduction wasn't in the options, considering they were _right in the middle of the freaking ocean_ and they haven't come across another ship after Phantom Lord. He was also sure Lucy wouldn't be playing hide-and-seek at this time (he noticed how she seemed to have a frown on her face during the past few days, bringing a frown to his, too). So that meant—no, Lucy couldn't have, right? She didn't—she couldn't have—

Something caught his eye inside the room's trash can. It was empty—save for a crumpled piece of parchment. Curiosity getting the best of him, he picked it up and smoothed the paper out on the desk beside the trash can.

When the paper was near readable condition—a few creases he couldn't smooth out here and there—Lucy's delicate cursive handwriting spelled out his name on the front. With a small moment of hesitation, uneasiness in his gut, he opened the paper.

Black eyes widened at what they were reading. His hands clenched the sides of the letter, crumpling some of the words beyond legible and understandable. He read the words written on the paper, but his mind seemed too slow to process what was inside. His heart sank at the pit of his stomach.

Before he could stop himself, he called for every member of his crew to head to land and search for Lucy.

* * *

_Dear Natsu,_

_I'm really sorry for leaving without saying anything, but this is something I should do—for Fairy Tail, for you, for myself. I will return to Father; that has been my decision these few days, and I don't think I will change it._

_That last battle with Phantom Lord was all I needed to know that I'm causing you more harm than good. It was my fault Fairy Tail was almost destroyed. My fault a lot of our crew sustained injuries. My fault you almost died._

_It was selfish of me to ask you to let me on your ship to escape my problems. But, I know, that it was the best decision I've ever made in my life, and I don't regret it one bit. My time on the ship was the most alive I've been. I enjoyed everyone's company, the weird antics, the heated brawls, the night parties, everything. I will—I will miss them all._

_But, I think I'll miss _you_ the most. You've always been there for me right from the beginning. You always cheered me up when I'm sad; you always seemed to have a way to make me laugh. You disregarded my status and accepted me for who I am. But most of all, you were my guardian, my savior, my protector. You were my hero._

_Thank you. . .for everything._

_Oh, my God, I'm crying now and the tears are falling on the paper and blotting my words. I didn't mean to—it's just—I'm going to miss you a lot, Natsu._

_Because I love you._

_I don't need to know your answer. Everything you did for me was enough._

_I hope we see each other again, in the future, somewhere I'm not a princess and we can be happy together._

_Love,  
__Lucy_

* * *

For the umpteenth time, she casted a forlorn look at the boarded ship, longing passing through her brown eyes, even though she had repeatedly told herself that this would only be left as another chapter in her life (Natsu would be just another event in her life that she would look back to and long for and it was painful to think that). _It was all for the better_, a mantra she chanted in her head whenever she felt her resolve waver.

Natsu and the others were probably already out looking for her (and it filled her with a pleasant feeling knowing that they wouldn't let her go that easily). One part of her dreaded that they'd find her (because it would surely mess with her set goal and who knows what'll happen to her little resolution of accomplishing it once she saw Natsu), while the other, the selfish part of her, fervently hoped they did because she wasn't happy with her decision and all she wanted to do was be with Fairy Tail, her _family_, and leaving them would rid her of happiness, of her true _home_.

Before she knew it, she was crying again.

She didn't want to leave. She never did.

She wanted to stay with Fairy Tail—with Natsu.

"Then you don't have to leave, Lucy," a voice said, and she wondered if it was from her head, "You can stay with us."

She shook her head firmly, willing herself to resist. "No," she replied to Natsu's voice in her head, "You don't understand."

"That's the problem." A warm hand grabbed her wrist and turned her around, bringing her to meet deep, obsidian (_sorrowful_) eyes. "I don't understand."

A gasp came out of her open mouth. "Natsu. . ."

"Why would you leave, Luce?" His eyebrows dipped down in disbelief, his tone painfully desolate, sad. "Aren't you happy with us? Did I do something wrong?"

She felt a pang in her chest, squeezing her heart more and more with his melancholic expression (melancholy didn't suit him, and seeing it on his face left a bad taste in her mouth, knowing she caused it). "No! Natsu, I—" And then she remembered what she had to do for his sake, and the explanation died in her throat. "I have to go."

She turned her back on him (but not without missing his crestfallen face), trying in vain to pull her hand from his vice-like grip. She steeled herself as she regarded him with a cold look. "Let me go, Natsu." To her own ears, her voice seemed strained and tired.

"No, Lucy!" he exclaimed, face only inches away as he looked at her with so much intensity she almost melted, "I'm not letting you go!"

She was near her patience's end, her defenses rapidly crumbling under the will burning in his eyes. "But I don't have any more money to give you!" It was an impulsive statement, and she immediately regretted it as soon it hung in the air.

He looked hurt for a moment, but he recovered fast enough to put a small smile on his puzzled face. "Who said I cared about the money?" he asked, and guilt flooded her because she felt the sincerity in his voice, "I never did from the start."

"Why are you doing this?" Her soft voice broke at the end of the question. "Why don't you let me go?"

He released her hand when he felt that she wouldn't run away (she thought it was stupid of him, putting so much trust in her that she wouldn't, but deep inside she knew he was right; she couldn't run away). "Why should I?" he asked, bewildered, but she could almost hear the laugh in his voice at the incredulity of her question.

"Natsu," she whispered softly, weakly, "you almost _died_ because of me."

A sigh escaped his lips. "Luce, I protected you because I wanted to, okay?" he said, still so sincere and truthful it hurt her, "Besides, I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if you got hurt." His shoulders went up and down in a shrug, but the worry and fear reflected in his eyes at that moment told her he wasn't as carefree about the thought of her getting hurt than he led to be.

"If I left, you wouldn't have the responsibility to protect anyone." Her throat almost constricted at the end of the sentence, almost cutting off her words and making her choke on them. "You would be better off without me."

In a flash, his hands were already grabbing her arms, making her face him and look at him dead in the eye. "Don't you ever say that, Lucy!" She almost flinched at the exclamation, and he realized he said it too loud. "I—I just—" he started, struggling with his words, "I can't imagine every day of my life without you."

Shocked frozen by his bold statement, she didn't even feel it when he moved his hands from holding her arms to rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I know that sounded really cheesy," he said sheepishly, "but. . .it's the truth." His eyes met hers for a brief moment before they looked away. "I don't think I could live without seeing your blond, almost golden hair, your smile, your almost-immodest dresses, your _weirdness_," she glared at him for that, but there was no real anger behind it, "I would miss you too much."

Her heart softened at his sincere confession, and she felt what little resolve she had before of leaving dissipate into nothingness. All her mind thought of was staying.

A grin on his face, Natsu held out his hand to her. "Let's go on a never-ending adventure, Lucy."

One by one, her worries and fears started to disappear. She didn't care about her father nor Phantom Lord.

Smiling softly, she placed her hand on his, giving it a comforting, reassuring squeeze. "Of course, Natsu."

Because all that mattered was Natsu and this beautiful thing they had called happiness.

* * *

_The pirate and the princess started their never-ending adventure together, discovering things the once sheltered girl never saw, experiencing things best experienced with a companion, taking life in stride and in a carefree manner. And along the way, they fell in love, feeling more happiness than they ever did in their lives._

_Like how all fairy tales end, they lived happily ever after. And they still do._

_The end._

* * *

With a content sigh, she closed the little gold notebook with her curly, cursive handwriting and put her pen down, staring lovingly at the sleeping captain laying his head on her lap.

* * *

**notes:** Long one-shot is long.  
**notes2:** Seriously, this is a complete 180 turn from the short one last chapter.  
**notes3:** I still have to finish a lot of half-complete one-shots. I should so it before I lose the idea and inspiration!  
**notes4:** Review and get an imaginary pirate ship! (Lol)


	23. sibling complex

**notes:** Yay for update inconsistency!  
**notes2:** I blame my hobbies. And studies. And myself.  
**notes3:** HA! I WILL SMOTHER YOU WITH FLUFF!  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favourite/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (misstirius, 1fairytaillover, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, QueenP19, 12, HikariLayla, hapiflower, PARADISE.x, Moggadeet, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, ThePartyHasEntered, greetingsfrommaars, Captain Ea Rayos, km28ave, Guest, WrathiusDreyar, VenVen, and GoldenRoseTanya)! I will never run out of thank you's for you guys!  
**notes5:** We have passed our 300-review milestone! Wooo! As a gift, I will give a sneak-peek to the 300th reviewer, but as it is an anonymous reviewer, I will give it to the next person, WrathiusDreyar! But, if Guest would tell who he/she was, then I'll give him/her a sneak preview as well :)  
**disclaimer:** Nope, because if I owned Fairy Tail, I would never create Minerva ugh (then the story wouldn't be interesting).  
**summary:** Because if your mate acted as your younger sister, you'd be in trouble.

* * *

"What is it like to have a younger sister?"

His obsidian eyes remained focused on the animate interactions of the two younger Strauss siblings, eyebrows furrowed deeply. At that moment, Elfman was cooking various dishes with Lisanna, and he grew even more confused because the male Takeover mage would rather _die_ than wear a frilly, pink apron around his (nonexistent) waist because, as he had reasoned before, "A man _never_ wears pink and frilly clothes because it is un_man_ly!" Seeing the scene in front of him, though, Elfman did the exact opposite of that and bent his own firm belief just to cook with Lisanna. Now, he could do those things with Lucy, but was there a difference between being a couple and being connected by blood? Was there something more special to it?

"I don't know." His head snapped to the blond seated beside him. It almost slipped his mind that she was right there (and that he had asked a question in the first place; his brain could only handle so much thinking before it blew up). "I've never had a sibling before."

The next question was supposed to be "What was it like to have _any_ family member at all?" but he decided against it because of his better judgement. Instead, he turned to her more closely, his face a couple more inches nearer to hers. "But don't you want to experience it?" There was eager enthusiasm reflected on his eyes at the thought of a whole new experience.

Lucy pursed her lips in thought, fine eyebrows forming a 'v' in the middle. "I—I guess. . ."

A grin appeared on his face, his mind thinking up of an idea _so_ bright it could light up a bulb (or, at least, by his standards). "Why don't _you_ be my younger sister for a day?"

His mate looked at him with a raised brow, but seeing his persistence practically radiating around his very being (he really _loved_ this idea, even if it was only minutes old), she finally caved in with a resigned sigh. "Fine." Then her lips curved in a smile, eyes having a shine in them. "I mean, it wouldn't be too bad, right?"

His grin grew wider. It was his best idea yet.

* * *

_"Natsu, why don't you sleep at my house tonight?"_

_"Wow, you're actually _inviting_ me? Usually I just barge in but—"_

_"Well, siblings sleep under one house, right?"_

_Grin. "Of course they do. They also take baths together."_

_Glare. "No, they don't."_

* * *

"Ohayou, Onii-chan~"

A singsong voice whispered in his ear, warm and honey-sweet even under the haze of his sleep. He turned his body towards the voice, the couch dipping down and creaking with the shift of his weight (Because of his offhand comment about taking baths together—gosh, Erza made him believe they could!—Lucy told him to get his perverted ass on the couch for that night). The ever fragrant scent of vanilla permeated around him, a smile unconsciously growing on his face. He really loved that smell.

"Oniiiii-chaaaannnn~" the voice said, this time louder and more persistent. It sent shivers of delight throughout his whole body, but he chose to revel in the scent instead of humoring the person calling him (he wasn't even sure if it was him being called, because he wasn't anyone's older brother—well, biologically speaking), deliberately ignoring her (he knew the voice was female) by pretending not to hear her and, well, still be asleep. Even if she resorted to poking him on places of his weaknesses he didn't expect the person would know. And suddenly he had a guess on who it was.

"Natsu-niichan!" He felt his whole body jump at the voice that shouted in his ear. His body fell to the floor with a thud from the shock, and Lucy was there hovering over him with that smug smile of hers (which he always found secretly hot). Of course he knew she was the only one who would ever shout on his ear when he was _asleep_. And have a voice that loud. A retort ready in his mouth, he opened it, only for his irritation to turn into surprise as she flung herself at him, making them fall to the floor with her body closely pressed to his (and painting a blush on his cheeks—he realized he wasn't ready for something like that so early in the morning). "Ohayou, Natsu-nii," she said with a wide smile and big, cheerful eyes.

"G-good morning, Lucy." He cursed himself for the stutter, because he _never_ stuttered (but this was an exception, clearly, because _Lucy was being so cute and adorable and he didn't know what to do_). He tried to stand but ended up falling back down again from Lucy's weight, who, at that moment, felt heavy as lead (maybe because she was so hellbent on clinging to him on the floor that her body responded to her command—or maybe it was just him being so sleepy and flustered that his strength left him). "Can you get off me now?" Don't get him wrong, he liked Lucy's hugs and. . ._physical_ contacts, but he—he can't breathe!

"Why, Natsu-nii?" She stuck out her lower lip in a pout, looking at him with wide, crushed eyes. He found himself blushing a deep red all over again. "Don't you want your little sister's hugs?"

_Dammit!_, he cursed, because he felt so _weak_ under her cuteness (and he briefly wondered if this was his weakness). "I-I do!" he heard himself squeak immediately, "I like your hugs!"

She beamed at him. "Then let's stay here for a while, Onii-chan." And he couldn't bring himself to say no, the word stuck in his throat.

He was left on the floor with a clinging Lucy cuddling and snuggling to him and hands that didn't know where to put themselves (and maybe a red face and a short-circuited brain).

* * *

After a few moments (he didn't know how many minutes—or even hours—had passed) of staying tangled on the wooden floor of Lucy's house with her weight on top of his body (he felt difficulty in breathing, and Lucy just might strangle him if he ever told her she was heavy), they now sat by the table, a platter of pancakes, eggs and bacon in front of them to eat. Lucy cooked breakfast for the both of them like always, except, this time, it was under the pretense of being the younger sister who usually cooked the food instead of the brother (and he found that completely sexist and insulting to his—nonexistent—cooking skills). But the complaint died on his lips when Lucy, with a sunny smile, laid down the plate of sizzling bacon strips, eggs cooked the way just like he always wanted (sunny-sided, not scrambled), and fluffy pancakes with butter and syrup dripping down from the sides (Okay, maybe the food was his weakness).

But still, he thought, the way Lucy was being so caring today seriously caught him off-guard. It was to the level where he started getting suspicious of a catch hidden somewhere under every little nice thing she did for him, and this was no exception. Bacon, eggs and pancakes altogether was just too good to be true.

Maybe there wasn't a catch, another voice told him, maybe this was the normal things siblings did for each other (and he would feel disappointed because Lucy was doing this only for the sake of their mutual want to experience sibling love. Then again, this idea wasn't half-bad).

"Natsu-niiii~"

He snapped from his thoughts to the girl sitting across from him, giving her a puzzled expression. "What is it, Luce?"

She puffed her cheeks out in that cute way of hers. "I told you to call me Lucy-chan."

Heat was starting to creep up to his cheeks, and he was forced to look away in embarrassment. "But it's—I can't do it." It was too endearing for his poor heart to take.

"Pleeeeaaaassseee, Natsu-nii?" Her hands clasped to her chest, she pleaded with big, brown eyes, and, really, there was no use resisting.

He released a defeated sigh, whole body shaking from the intense cuteness in front of him. "F-fine, Luce—," she glared at him, "Lucy-chan." His skin felt like melting into a puddle. This was emotionally exhausting.

"Can you feed me, Natsu-nii?" Her mouth opened wide, and he found her face too adorable for his own health.

On second thought, this idea was starting to show its negatives to him, and suddenly, he wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day.

* * *

After the last spoonful of mixed breakfast food was fed to his _dear_ little sister (that left a weird taste in his mouth), he dropped the spoon on the plate with a clang. He was done feeding Lucy. Finally, Lucy would leave him alone and he would be able to relax and—

And when Natsu finally relieved the tension from his muscles, they stiffened again when they felt skin (oh so smooth and silky, creamy skin) brush against them. His eyes widened and his face exploded into deep crimson because _holy shit Lucy was sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around him and looking up at him with that adorable expression again_. Sweat formed on his forehead and started to coat his whole body, slightly plastering his clothes to his skin. "W-what are you doing, Luce—" Glare. "—y-chan?" That question alone seemed to drain him of his energy.

Lucy bounced on his lap (and he silently pleaded to her not to do that for it did _various_ things to his body), looking oddly giddy and cheerful. "Your lap is so soft, Natsu-nii!" she said with a high-pitched voice (what happened to his Lucy?). Suddenly, she brought her face too closely, a devious look on her face (and all signs of innocence were gone). "Makes me wonder why I don't sit on it too often."

"Ooookkaaaayyy!" he cut in uncomfortably, grabbing her by the waist and setting her back to the ground with a flop, "I thought we were doing an innocent brother-sister relationship today?"

Her lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Fine," she said, "We'll keep it that way, and Lucy-chan will hold her naughty self back until we're finished."

Great. She was talking in the third-person already.

And again, for the second time that day, he found himself wanting to end this little roleplay they had established.

* * *

_"Just how old are you really supposed to be?"_

_"Well, obviously, I'm younger than you."_

_"Can't you tone down the pouts and the immaturity, then? You're not __**that**__ young."_

_"But I've always wanted to act like a child! Just this once. Pleeeeaaassseee?"_

_"No! Don't give me the pout!"_

* * *

The animated movie continued to show on the Lacrima screen, a cartoon princess and singing household items serving as his only entertainment (and Lucy thought _Happy_ was weird?) for the rest of the night. Because, obviously, Lucy used her feminine wiles to make them watch a fairy tale movie and, as usual, he didn't have the guts nor the resolve to refuse her (and he furiously ignored Gray's little voice in his head teasing him about being whipped).

Currently, the scene was that of a suspenseful surge of the main villain towards the castle, all murderous and malicious intent around him and his mob, each one of them out for the beast's blood.

He could feel Lucy hesitantly inching closer to him, and when he chanced a look at her, there was an innocently apprehensive expression on her face, as if she hasn't watched this movie for a thousand times over. As the lover (well, big brother for now), he felt obliged to gather her in his arms and squeeze her for comfort.

And so he did.

There was a soft gasp of surprise from her, most likely not expecting the affectionate gesture, but it wasn't long before she melted into his embrace, eyes illuminated with light from the screen.

For that moment, they were somewhat back to normal, albeit there was a children's movie playing in front of them. And from what he observed from Lucy—as he looked down at her tenderly—he felt that she was completely comfortable with how they were then, completely at ease.

When the credits finished rolling and the screen dimmed to black, though, Lucy resumed acting like his little sister (very, _very_ young sibling). She wiggled in his embrace, until her head was almost on level with his, and snuggled to him.

"What are you doing now, Lucy-chan?" This time, there was no fluster or embarrassment (although he could feel his cheeks heat up at the action).

"I'm being your little sister for the day." She gave him that bright smile, and it seemed so sincere but he knew that she was trying too hard.

"But why?" he asked, bewildered, "Why do it if you weren't comfortable in the first place?"

She jolted, surprised at how he found her out. "Because you said you wanted to have a younger sister," she murmured softly, and he almost didn't hear, "So I thought that maybe—maybe that's one more thing I could do to make you happy."

"Luce," he lifted her chin up so she looked directly at his eyes, so they could see the silent apology in them (because it was his idea in the first place, and he had unconsciously, almost forcefully dragged her into it), "You don't have to be my little sister to make me happy, okay? That was stupid."

Lucy looked like she was ready to protest. "But Natsu—!"

Instead, he planted a chaste kiss on her lips, effectively letting her words die in her mouth. "Look, I'm perfectly fine with not having a younger sister, or any other sibling, just as long as I have you," he said, looking away because the words coming out of his mouth were so cheesy, "So can I please have my Lucy back?"

Lucy seemed to relax instantly. "Sure," she said, sighing, "It was actually very tiring to be so affectionate."

He let out a groan. "You don't know the half of it." His eyebrows scrunched in a mix of confusion and annoyance. "Who told you that siblings did those things, anyway?"

* * *

"Mira-nee, what did you do again?"

The barmaid gave her younger sister a normal smile. "What are you talking about, Lisanna?" she asked innocently.

The youngest of the Strauss siblings planted her hands on her hips. "No use hiding it, Mira-nee. I know you did something."

Mirajane's innocent facade fell for a moment before it turned into a feigned cheerful one. "I merely told Lucy what normal siblings do."

Lisanna seemed to want to say something back but settled with sighing. There was no use trying to argue with her older sister. She wouldn't win, no matter what. "I'm sure it's anything _but_ that." Then, a scheming smile, frighteningly identical to her sister's, appeared on her face. "Do you think something happened?"

"Of course," Mirajane said, nodding, "We both know Natsu could never resist Lucy, especially if she was intentionally being cute."

Lisanna smiled. "That's true." She walked over to the bar, where Mirajane was busy being lost in her own fantasy of how Natsu and Lucy's kids would look like. "Those two are too cute, even going as far as to pretend to be siblings to please the other."

"Well," Mirajane said, having been out of her reverie, "Lucy has yet to discover that sisters have their brothers at the palm of their hands."

"Hmmm," Lisanna hummed in thought, "Maybe just Elf-niichan, Mira-nee." She sat by the counter and leaned her head on her palm. "For a self-proclaimed man, he sure has a soft spot for his sisters."

"Actually, now that I think about it," Mirajane started, "it seems that every Fairy Tail male has a soft spot for a Fairy Tail female." Her eyes casted a dreamy look skyward. "I'm in matchmaking heaven!"

"And Natsu and Lucy are just the beginning," Lisanna said with a laugh, almost scared for herself, "even if they're already a couple."

"No, it's not a success yet!" Mirajane exclaimed, "Not until they're married!"

The only thing Lisanna could do was chuckle at her sister's antics.

* * *

**notes:** I actually like Lisanna, after I write this. Just as long as I don't make her Lucy's love rival or something, I don't hate her.  
**notes2:** I never get tired of one of them shutting the other up with a kiss.  
**notes3:** Isn't this cute?  
**notes4:** TELL ME IT IS (lol whut)


	24. home

**notes:** Welp, I'm late again.  
**notes2:** This was actually finished a long time ago.  
**notes3:** I don't know what to say anymore.  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts list, and to those who reviewed (chihirokung, ThePartyHasEntered, HikariLayla, Guest, misstirius, Moggadeet, Captain Ea Rayos, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, xXLovelyAnimeLoverXx, PARADISE.x, 1fairytaillover, Yuni-sama, Wrathius Dreyar, VenVen, LinkLover123, QueenP19, greetingsfrommaars, km28ave, and Kitty Redheart)!  
**notes5:** I'm warning you now, there is **angst** up ahead. Just a heads-up :) (Since it's very nice to update late AND give you guys an angsty one-shot)  
**disclaimer:** We've been over this already.  
**summary:** Because what was the place he could truly call home?

* * *

The wind blew softly along the road, the grass beneath sandaled feet swaying ever so slightly. The small town bustled about on the normal day, adults doing mundane everyday tasks with children running enthusiastically on uneven dirt roads.

The morning sun smiled down on him, its rays shining his way back to his hometown. It seemed to know that it had been a long, long time since he left, and that he would finally be returning in a few days. He'd like to think of it as a hero's comeback, but really, it was just an overdue reunion between lovers. That's all he cared about.

After entering the forest south of the town, miles into its heart, his sharp sense of hearing picked up sounds of combat deep within the green trees. Being a mage, his fighting instincts steered his feet towards the direction of the sound (He was impulsive, but this was how he detected most of his enemies and saved most of the people he did; there was no such thing as 'second-guessing' in his vocabulary).

When he broke through the trees, the sight that he expected to see definitely wasn't a boy (a teenager?) fighting on par with a monster with a flaming whip in his hand. His blond hair whipped back as he ran straight at the hairy forest monster, swinging his weapon with a loud, audible whoosh of the wind in its wake. The monster cried out in pain, clutching the reddened part where the whip came into contact with its skin. With a roar, its movements became more erratic and feral, arms shooting out to hurt any part of the boy. The blond boy evaded the attacks, but there was a hint of discomfort on his face.

Feeling the adrenaline of fighting, the thrill burning in his blood intensely, he jumped in between the boy and the monster, landing a heavy axe kick on the monster's head. He followed the attack with a fiery fist to its face, propelling the monster to a nearby tree.

His head turned to the boy. "You okay, kid?"

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he raised his whip and swung it towards his direction—

—only it didn't hit him. He felt the end of the whip coil around something behind him, the whip straightening with tension when the boy pulled on it. He received a smug smirk. "Never let your guard down."

A low laugh left his lips. He liked this boy.

He swung his feet backwards, his heel hitting the bound monster square in the head. It fell down with a thud, unconscious and defeated.

"Thanks," he told the boy with a grin, "I'm Natsu, by the way." He held out a firm hand in friendly greeting.

The boy didn't accept his hand, his eyes widening noticeably. "Natsu? As in. . . Natsu, the Salamander?"

Pushing annoyance down with much effort (the kid left his hand hanging!), he chose to humor the boy. "Yep," he nodded his head almost eagerly, "The one and the only."

Something flashed in the boy's eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came, leaving him to think it was his imagination. "I-I'm Aki," the boy said, accepting his hand with concealed hesitance (and yet he noticed), "Nice to finally meet you."

He didn't know if it was the blond hair or the flaming whip (or the obvious combat skill) but he found himself taking a liking at this boy.

* * *

"Say, Aki, where are you headed to?"

They were walking through the forest where they encountered the monster (it was one _hell_ of a forest), steps disturbing the tranquility of their surroundings. His arms remained behind his head in a relaxed position, black eyes looking skyward. Even in his age, he managed to retain his carefree demeanor.

The boy slightly turned his head to him. "Magnolia," he answered simply.

He felt himself brighten at the mention of his hometown. "Really?" he said, barely being able to contain the excitement from seeping into his voice, "Me, too!" Then a thought came to him. "But what are you doing so far away from Magnolia?"

Aki released a heavy sigh. "Because I was looking for someone." And he decided to stop there.

The realization dawned on him that this kid (almost adult, he had to remind himself), despite being young, seemed to have too many secrets and hardships on his shoulders.

* * *

_"Do you have a family?"_

_"I did. How about you? Do you love your family?"_

_"Very much. More than my whole life."_

* * *

It was mid-afternoon, the sun now glaring down at them harshly. He remembered that on missions when they had to walk home during hot weathers like this, Lucy would complain a lot about her feet being sore and sweat making her unflattering. In response, he would carry her on his back and tell her she looked fine (in reality, she looked _beautiful_, but 'fine' was as far as his pride would allow). Then, with an adorable red face, she would suggest taking the train instead.

Train. . .train. . .train—

"Oh, shit!" he couldn't help but curse out loud, "I could've taken the train a few towns back!" Even if the thought alone made him blanch, he knew the transportation was centuries faster than walking by foot. Sure, he became nauseous on train rides, but he was more than willing to go through that if it meant arriving in Magnolia faster (and seeing Lucy again faster).

Beside him, he heard a laugh. "You're an idiot," Aki said, amused.

A big grin grew on his face at the familiar, nostalgic statement. "I get that a lot."

Then again—he looked sideways at the boy walking with him—he wouldn't have met this kid on the way had he taken the train.

* * *

_"Do you have someone special back home?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You know, that special girl—or guy, I don't know—that you want to protect so badly, that you're willing to risk your life just for that person. Do you have that?"_

_"W-well. . ."_

_"Come on, don't be shy! Describe that person."_

_"Long, black hair and blue eyes, and has the strangest habit of—never mind."_

_"That's funny, because it reminds me of this person I know. Are you sure it's not him? Then again, that would not only make him gay but also a pedophile."_

_"I'm not gay!"_

_"Okay, okay, just teasing you."_

_"How about you?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"Who's that person to you?"_

_"She's the only girl I've ever loved so much, and I'm finally coming back to her after a long time."_

* * *

The pile of dried wood lit up with a fire, and he stared, black eyes illuminated, with a satisfied grin on his face. Night had fallen on the forest (yes, they were still in _that_ forest), and even if the boy didn't tell him that he was tired (but he knew from his slowed pace and labored breathing), they called it a day and set up camp. It would add one more waiting day before he saw Lucy, but it was necessary so he endured.

"Aki!" he called to the boy, who was supposed to be fishing by a nearby stream, "Aki!" A tinge of worry for the boy when he received no reply, he listened more closely to the sounds of the forest, picking up parts of his soft, muffled voice. It seemed like he was having a conversation with someone else, but he couldn't fully distinguish it except for the fact that the person was male. Wasting no time, he ran to where the voices came from.

When he arrived at a field between the trees, moonlight casting a soft glow on the ground, he spotted Aki sitting on a log, a certain desolateness in his posture. He noticed the melancholic expression on the boy's face as his eyes stared at the object on his hand, glinting under the light.

Shock immediately pooled his visage when he saw the object clearer.

It was a gold key. The _lion's_ gold key.

It took him a few moments to process that that was Lucy's key. And it should not be in anyone else's possession.

In a flash, he was already in front of the boy and holding him up by the collar. "What did you do to Lucy?!" he exclaimed, eyes blazing with uncontrollable rage.

Surprise briefly flitted on Aki's face before it turned impassive, a silent, seething anger underneath. "What did _you_ do to her?" There was accusation in every word, and he realized this boy knew a lot more about him than he to him.

"Who are you?" he asked, almost silently.

The boy set himself back on the ground after he released him, standing determinedly and firmly in front of him, and he found himself staring into hard eyes identical to his. "My name is Igneel Dragneel," he said with a cold tone, "and I'm your son."

A smile fought its way to his lips, and there was a mix of feelings inside his chest that he couldn't stop. He had a son. He and Lucy had a son. He was right in front of him, with Lucy's blond hair and his dark eyes, and he didn't know what to do with himself. Suddenly, longing flared stronger inside him, and all he wanted to do was hug Lucy and kiss her senseless.

The question he blurted out was the first thought that came to his mind. "Why did you say your name was Aki?"

Sadness passed through the boy's eyes, and he gave him a rueful smile. His heart skipped a beat, anxiety growing within him as each second passed.

"Because during autumn a year ago. . .was the time when Mom died."

* * *

It was the end of the day, the sunset painting bright orange hues on the canvas that was the yellowing sky. The sun was slowly sinking down on the horizon, hiding and disappearing from the world. The field remained tranquil and serene, the breeze of Magnolia sweeping in and blowing softly among the surroundings. It was Magnolia. He was home. And yet it didn't seem like it. He still felt empty and hollow.

The gray tombstone on the ground stared up at him, squeezing his heart and numbing it at the same time. His mouth refused to speak (lips pulled into a deep, permanent frown), but there was a part inside him screaming in anguish that her name should not have to be engraved on a tombstone. That she should not have to be buried for him to later look at and mourn over. That she should not have died before he came back.

He ran his thumb across the rough surface, as if waiting for the stone to turn into dust, or for some gray paint to come off on his finger and tell him this was all a sick joke. Because even with the hard evidence in front of him, he couldn't bring himself to believe that this was reality. It couldn't be.

"You really love Mom, don't you?"

He didn't even flinch at the sudden sound, nor did he need to look at the person to know whose voice it was that spoke to him. "Yeah," he said with no hesitation, "That's why I wanted to finish the 100-year mission as soon as I can." He gazed at the tombstone, at her grave. "To get back to her."

There was no reply, and he found that he couldn't stop the words. "I finished it in 17 years." Pride, which was normally in his tone, was absent when he said that sentence. It was a hollow statement, a fact but not exactly a memory. "The time I came across you, I was already going home."

His eyes went up to his son's, dim and blank, before they fell back on the dug soil, still fresh even after a year. "Guess I was a year too late, huh, Lucy?" A wistful smile appeared on his face, small and pained. "I'm sorry for making you wait that long." The intense burning at the back of his eyes released a tear, followed by another, streaming down his cheeks unbidden. Because the reality has finally hit him, and he had lost the woman he loved. "I'm. . .I'm really sorry."

No words followed his regretful whisper, the silence around them undisturbed and consoling. His eyes continued to stare at the grave blankly, his whole being devoid of its usual boisterousness. It felt like his world had crashed down on him, and there was no use trying to piece himself together without Lucy there beside him. He had lost the will.

"Dad," Igneel called, hesitant, and it briefly came to him that it was the first time his son ever called him that, ever acknowledged that he was his father, "Mom—mom wrote this letter before. . ." he saw the boy swallow a big lump on his throat, no doubt an onslaught of oncoming mixed emotions, "before she rested, and she asked me to give it to you when you came home." The blond-haired teen held out the piece of parchment he has been holding since his arrival, and he accepted it with a slight tremble (but deep inside, he was a wreck).

This was the last piece of Lucy he'll ever be able to hold on to, and he was afraid it would crumble under his touch. With more care than he had ever used, he opened the letter addressed to him.

* * *

Dear Natsu,

This is probably the last letter I will ever write to you, and I didn't want it to be full of regrets and what if's and should have's, but it's something that should be said. You deserve that much.

I'm really sorry I wasn't able to welcome you when you came home. I used _when_ and not _if_ because I believe you will, eventually, even after a long time (and you better be, or I'll beat your sorry ass up here). I'm really sorry that, even though my heart was dead-set on waiting for your return, my body wasn't able to keep up and fell ill. I'm sorry that, even though you'll look for me when you return, you won't find me. I'm sorry that our last kiss was before you left, that it was supposed to be your goodbye but it seemed like mine now. I'm sorry that I'll be causing you so much pain and misery. I'm sorry for leaving you.

But what I'm not sorry about is our time together. I don't have much to say about it other than I couldn't have asked for another life. My life was happy because I was with you. Thank you for every act of love, of happiness, of kindness and friendship. Thank you for loving me, and for letting me love you. I know I'll die happy, because I've spent my life loving someone like you.

I hate how this is sounding like a farewell. But it isn't, because I won't be leaving you. I'll always be by your side, and I'll see you in due time (don't come here too early or I will send you back down again!).

I love you, Natsu. Don't ever forget that. I want you to live your life like you always did. I want you to be happy, and remain like that because you're not Natsu if you're not happy.

Love always,

Lucy

P.S. Take care of Igneel (must've been a shock to you, huh?). He's just like you, and I think he loves me almost as much as you do. Of course I love him as much as I love you. You better love him a lot, too. I won't trade him for anything in the world.

* * *

His hand hung limply on the side, itching to gather the grass beneath it and uproot them altogether (because he was just so confused on how to feel and what to do with his life). The hand that held the letter was gentle, slightly shaking and stiff.

"I know that this is a lot to take in," he felt like that was an understatement, "but if it makes you feel any better, Mom died with a smile on her face." Igneel looked off far into the distance, thoughtful. "Even though you weren't there beside her during her last moments, she was happy," his son stared deep into his eyes, and he saw the raw emotions reflected in them (he wondered if his eyes were like that, too, clearly reflecting melancholy on their glossy surfaces), "because she knew your heart was with her."

_I'm sorry, Lucy_, he wanted to say (because she deserved that much), but his lips refused to move, pulled together into a frown by loneliness.

A soft material was pressed into his cheek, and he was taken by surprise at the warmth of the cloth. It was a familiar article of clothing, and he hesitantly took it in his hands. The scale pattern was still the same as he remembered, and his heart ached at the past that would never be the present. He turned his head to his son, an unspoken question on his face, and his son just smiled at him softly. It knocked the air out of him because the gesture was unexpected and it was the first time he received a smile from the boy (and his chest squeezed at the sight because the expression was exactly like Lucy's). Igneel seemed to be urging him to do what he had been holding back from doing.

He rubbed his fingers on the material tenderly, missing the way it felt on his skin when worn. When he left for the mission, he'd given the scarf to Lucy (and he remembered saying something cheesy like "leaving a piece of him behind for her", and she'd laughed through her tears, saying she wouldn't need it because she knew she had his heart with her, but still she kept his scarf close to her chest, clutching onto it like a lifeline). Now, he halfheartedly wished that he didn't have it back. Wrapping it around his neck on habit, he burrowed his nose into the material and reveled in the warmth that no doubt was Lucy's.

A familiar scent permeated through his senses, making his eyes snap open. His nose picked up the nostalgic fragrance on the article of clothing, and his body went into a mild frenzy. He could smell Lucy's scent all over the scarf, and he couldn't stop himself from taking a huge whiff of it from the cloth, a hint of desperation on his face to keep the scent from disappearing. He tried so hard to imprint it on his mind, because he feared that he may forget how she actually smelled like. The feelings in his chest exploded again into a confused mix of sadness and longing, and there was nothing more he ever wanted than to see Lucy again. Pressing the soft, sweet-smelling scarf to his cheek, he whispered almost inaudibly, "I miss you, Lucy." He closed his eyes when he felt an oncoming wave of hot tears. "I miss you so much."

A hand touched his shoulder, and he snapped his head to his son's somber face, sad and sympathetic. "I—I think I understand now why Mom loved you so much," he said, smiling a small, pained smile, "because you love her as much as she loves you." His son murmured the last part, thinking he wouldn't hear. "And I respect you for that."

He stayed seated, frozen at Igneel's words. This boy, he thought, has finally accepted him as his father, as the man Lucy loved more than anything in the world (maybe other than Igneel himself).

And suddenly, his will to live came back.

"Igneel," he couldn't help but grin his usual enthusiastic grin (although it just didn't look exactly like the normal one; something was different about it), "would you like to meet your grandfather?"

Igneel's face split into a wide smile, and all he could do was nod excitedly in agreement for lack of a better answer.

* * *

The field was empty when the sun had risen the next morning, the usual figure (or figures) absent from their usual spot by the still-fresh soil of the grave. The soft rays of the sun reached the surface of the gray tombstone, a shadow dancing around the boundaries of a yellowing paper completely out of place from its surroundings.

The letter, handwritten by a rough hand, delicately lay atop the stone, an uncreased parchment holding a lot of meaningful sentences and emotional declarations and unsaid words in a letter that seemed too small to fit all the feelings.

Words alone were never enough to convey the man's love for his wife, nor were they sufficient to be able to transcribe the man's feelings into a simple piece of paper.

The letter flipped open.

* * *

Dear Lucy,

When I returned to Magnolia, I thought I would be happy because I was finally home. I remembered how that was all I ever wanted the most. And yet even as I set foot on my 'home', the empty feeling in my chest was still there. It became worse when I saw our house. I realized that I felt like that because you weren't there. It wasn't home if you weren't there with me. My home was always where you were.

I felt like my world just ended when I learned that you've died. I couldn't accept it. I couldn't help but blame myself for leaving you, because it felt like you were taken from me when I wasn't there. If I didn't leave, I thought, maybe you wouldn't die. Maybe I could've spent a lot more time with you. Maybe I wouldn't feel like I wasted 17 damn years of my life on the wrong thing and regret not spending that time with you. But, as you said in your letter, it's never good to think of the things that could've—should've happened.

To be honest with you (and I know you'll kill me for this), I didn't want to continue living. My will to live completely disappeared with your death. I thought, if you were gone, then what was there to live for? What was my reason to live without you? I wanted to follow you—if I was alone. One look at our son (we have a son!) and that seemed to change my mind.

Because even though you're gone, there's still a part of you remaining here with me, and I can't leave him, not yet.

I'm still hurting inside, but I'm trying to keep a grin on my face for you. For Igneel. I'll try to live on happily, because, even though it's hard, I know it's what you would have wanted.

I know this wouldn't reach you (maybe it will, because I know you're still here with me), but I know, deep inside, that you already know these things.

I'll wait for the day we'll be together again. I'll try not to rush into it.

I love you, Luce.

-Natsu

P.S. I'm starting to like Igneel. He has your hair and your smile, but he has my eyes and a bit of my personality once you get to know him. He has some of your personality, too, and he has your keys and your whip. I think he has my fire and my combat skills though.

(Please don't haunt me for saying that. Actually, please do.)

* * *

The wind blew stronger and, still gentle as ever, lifted the paper from the grave and flew the letter through the air. It sailed above a happy display of a father and a son smiling and laughing before going up to the clouds.

* * *

**notes:** If any of you are wondering, I got the inspiration from Rave (Master). I'm not gonna say anything further than that, because if you read the manga (well, the manga was complete), you would know what I'm talking about ;) Well, of course, just a part of this. Like, just a theme, not the whole Rave Master plot or something.  
**notes2:** I'm running out of inspiration! Care to give me some fuel?  
**notes3:** How do you guys like Igneel? I know it's more possible for Natsu's kid to have pink hair, but if I did that, it would've been pretty obvious from the start and I was going for the surprise, because I wanted to surprise you guys *seemingly innocent smile* Besides, I think a guy with Lucy's blond hair (of course it's short) would be soooo cute, especially if he has Natsu's personality.


	25. first date

**notes:** Lol, I almost didn't make it for Valentine's Day.  
**notes2:** Since I made you cry last chapter, I guess I owe you this fluffy chapter (and besides, I can't ruin Valentine's Day much).  
**notes3:** A major milestone in Natsu and Lucy's relationship!  
**notes4:** Thank you to those who put this in their Favorites/Alerts and to those who reviewed (nalua93, Lucy Ashley from Fairy Tail, 1fairytaillover, QueenP19, Betta Fische, ravenred123, LinkLover123, TivaNaluKick4evs, misstirius, KinKitsune01, Yuni-sama, lurvevanilla, greetingsfrommaars, pandasxpocky, PhoenixBear, WrathiusDreyar, km28ave, Guest, Zipperz Kester, and Dragneel)!  
**disclaimer:** If I was Mashima, I would give the NaLu fans something special for Valentine's Day *coughs*makingNatsuandLucy**canon***coughs*  
**summary**: Because it was a milestone in the relationship and he wanted everything to be perfect.

* * *

It was a normal day in the guild, the usual drinking and everyday brawls going on like they did daily. Cana was down to her next barrel of beer, Elfman shouted something about 'being a man!', and Gray has lost his boxers somewhere between the fight. Everything was perfectly normal—

—save for a Natsu uncharacteristically outside the fights, slumped on the counter like a heavy dilemma was on his shoulders. And there was.

"Is something wrong, Natsu?" The barmaid had naturally picked up on his odd behavior.

He continued to press his face on the hard wood (as if doing so would somehow lessen the load). "I haven't taken Lucy out on a date yet," he said, puffing out his cheeks, "Usually, by now, the main guy in those corny romance books of hers would have taken the girl out on somewhere romantic—and I haven't." A long sigh escaped his lips, and he almost groaned. "She's probably disappointed in me already."

"I heard something about a date!" Levy suddenly appeared on the stool beside his (he swore every female had a radar somewhere in their bodies for the words 'date' and 'couple'), a wide, ecstatic smile on her face. "Oh, Lu-chan's already been expecting that!"

Someone snorted behind him. "Of course," a familiar _annoying_ voice said, and he resisted the urge to kick his frozen ass, "since this dumbass made her wait for too long already."

"Shut up, Ice-Brain. At least I have a girlfriend." He almost smirked under his arms despite the situation. _That_ shut him up.

"I have to agree with Gray, though. A month _is_ pretty long, Natsu," Mirajane added not-too-helpfully, making the pressure on his slouched body heavier.

"I thought you were on my side, Mira," he whined, raising his head to look at the barmaid.

Mirajane's smile suddenly took a darker twist. "I'm on _love's_ side, Natsu," she said, almost with an edge at every word, "That's the only side I'm in, and if you're not working for love, then I'm not with you on this one." He instinctively leaned back, away from the white-haired demon.

"I've been planning to take her out on a date, okay?!" he exclaimed when he reached his patience's end, "But—it's just—I just—I didn't know what to do." He slumped back on the bar, even gloomier than he was before the conversation.

"I want to make Luce happy," he said almost admittedly, "but I'm not good with romance." His fingers ran through his spikes in a stressed gesture. "Although I want to at least try."

"Awww, how cute, Natsu," Levy gushed, probably visualizing a romantic scene out of his speech, "Then, maybe you should bring her to the bookstore."

"The bookstore?" Gray asked, laughing, "Yes, that's definitely _really_ good for a date."

Levy shot a glare at him. "See? This is why you're single, Gray," she said, "Go find your clothes."

The ice mage gasped dramatically, offended. "Gajeel has been a bad influence on you, Levy. You're starting to act like him," he said before running off into the middle of the fight to try and find his clothes (although that was not likely).

After the ice mage had disappeared, the petite bookworm turned to him. "Don't listen to Gray. Just you going there willingly is enough for Lu-chan."

As he opened his mouth to reply, Mirajane cut him off with a sudden squeal, face brightening visibly. "Taking her out to dinner at a fancy restaurant is even better!"

His face immediately contorted with disgust at the notion. "Those places where you wear fancy suits and fancy black coats and fancy ties?" He shook his head frantically. "_Hell_ no."

"I thought you wanted to try, Natsu?" Levy asked, seemingly innocent-looking, but somehow, he knew that there was something razor-sharp behind it like a certain metal dragonslayer's smirk (and, for once, he agreed with Gray—and proceeded to inwardly soap his tongue for even admitting that). "I'm sure you, of all people, would know that Lu-chan found fancy dinners romantic."

A scowl etched itself on his face, because Levy was right and Lucy liked romance more than anything else and it was hopeless that he just didn't _do_ romance. "Damn romance books and their sappy techniques on creating a great date," he grumbled.

"Which is why, maybe, you should take a hint from them," the barmaid, now polishing glasses, chirped in, "After all, you said it yourself that Lucy sometimes took advices from her books."

At the seemingly reasonable and logical idea, he perked up a bit. "You know what, Mira? You're right. I'll take your advice and learn from romance books." He turned to Levy. "Can I borrow some romance books?"

"Sure," she said, smiling rather giddily, before it turned mischievous, "Would you like the books Erza borrows as bonus?"

Completely oblivious, he nodded excitedly, thinking they were combat books. "Awesome! Thanks, Levy!"

"Oh, I don't think you would thank me for Erza's books," the blue-haired girl said with a peculiar undertone, giggling. If her best friend ever found out that she lent Natsu romance books—_Erza's_ books, dear Mavis—she would be murdered for scarring the poor, innocent dragonslayer. Not to mention she would have a raging Erza hot on her heels. Oh well, she honestly thought it was all worth it. After all, it would help Lucy in the long run *wink wink*.

Natsu still didn't look completely satisfied, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. "When do I take her out on the date, though?" he asked, a bit frantic, "It's the first, so, of course, it has to be special."

"You're in luck, Natsu." Mirajane winked at him from behind the counter. "One of the best dates is coming up really soon."

Intrigued, he asked, "When's that?" Mirajane gave him a smile in reply.

"February 14, Valentine's Day."

* * *

She stood in front of the mirror, turning a critical eye at her appearance that night. Her golden hair was curled and falling down her back like gentle waves. Her face was powdered lightly and it brought the simplicity of her features to the surface (because Natsu was all for simplicity). Her red dress hugged all the right curves of her body, and for that she was confident. Because even if she'd gone on numerous dates in the past, she was nervous because it was Natsu she needed to impress.

Not that she needed to, really. Natsu was all hers and she knew that. Maybe there was just the subtle fear of not being what her lover expected. Maybe because he set the bar pretty high for her.

Her heels clacked softly when she made her way across the room to her wooden desk. On the furniture was a piece of paper, and she took it in her hands, fond. It was Natsu's invitation to their date, written in a way that was _not_ him at all he may have been threatened at sword-point to write it (and knowing the guild, he might as well have been). The gesture alone, the obvious feeling in the words, made her lips curl up in a tender smile. Because even if he was not the type to do these things (a _fancy dinner_?), he tried and tried so hard to do it for her.

(And that was why Natsu was different from others, different from those guys she dated before.)

"Luce, you ready?"

Her skin jumped at the sudden voice, and she whipped her head towards the source of it (so quickly she almost had a whiplash). In all his glory, Natsu sat perched atop her windowsill, pink hair stark against the now darkening sky. Despite his position (squatting precariously on the edge of her window), he looked undeniably sharp in his formal wear of coat and tie. Maybe the surprise on her face was there because she has never seen him dress so formally (at least, on his own will).

And for a long moment, she stood there, staring at him dumbly and so intensely that she started to see signs of discomfort appearing on his face. She snapped out of the trance when he started making his way towards her frozen form, a slightly worried (nervous) expression on his visage. A laugh bubbled in her throat. "I'm fine, Natsu," she said, eyes twinkling with unbridled amusement, "Let's go, hm?" Her arm linked with his, and she was the one to pull him out of the house (she laughed inwardly at how it wasn't the other way around).

She had a good feeling about this, about their date, and if the beginning was like the rest of the date, then she had nothing to worry about.

* * *

He picked on his food with the utensils, eyes uninterested as they looked around the previously-artistically-arranged plate. Normally he would've inhaled everything by now, but his stomach didn't feel good (and he thought that maybe that was the nervousness, silently bubbling inside him).

Perhaps he didn't scarf down the food because it wasn't a very sophisticated thing to do (When did he start to care about sophistication?). His posture was rigid, back straight, shoulders squared, and he could feel the strain it was putting on his muscles already. Here he was, (barely) eating fancy, expensive food he didn't even know the name of (something with Blue in it—Gordon of Blue, Blue Gordon?), sitting on a plush, velvet chair that only made him fidget. He tugged on his black tie nervously.

He hasn't even said anything to Lucy throughout the dinner, only to ask her what she wanted to order. This wasn't him, this quiet, nervous man sitting across the girl he liked (she was his mate now, he had to remind himself). But he absolutely did not want to screw this all up.

The guild members (well, mostly the girls; Gray was just there to ridicule him) had given him advices on what was expected on the first date. He booked a reservation at the fancy restaurant Mira told him days before, almost threatening the employee when he said there weren't any tables available for them (he might have gone a little overboard then—but the pressure was starting to get to him). With Erza's sword pointed at his neck, he was forced to write a romantic invitation to the girl for the date (they weren't his words, but the thought and intention were wholeheartedly his). After that, he borrowed his attire from Gray (who knew he had something formal like that? He wouldn't even be able to keep it on for more than a minute, so it was useless), subsequently going down on his knees to beg for it (the bastard had the gall to smirk at him, and he could feel his pride being crushed, but all he thought was that it was all to make Lucy happy). And then he was there, squirming in his seat uncomfortably with the uncertainty if he was doing the right thing.

"Natsu, are you okay?" Lucy, who was sitting across from him, suddenly came into focus, raised eyebrow and worried brown eyes clear to him (and she was beautiful, so much that it took his breath away and left him stunned for a moment, mouth wide open like a gaping fish).

"Nothing!" he answered on impulse, "Nothing's wrong—what are you saying, Luce?" His attempt at nonchalance was half-assed even to his own ears, and even he wouldn't believe himself.

Thankfully, Lucy decided to ignore his weird actions (great, now _he_ was the weird one), choosing to go back to her own plate to slice a piece of beef off and offer it to him. He looked at the fork questioningly. "Natsu, you haven't eaten a bite of your food yet," she said in a condescending voice, much like a mother scolding her child, "If you don't eat, these _very delicious_—not to mention expensive—food will go to waste." She gave him The Tone, a tone she often used whenever she made him an _innocently_ convenient offer, but really was just to use guilt for him to accept.

(Like he would refuse.)

And really, Lucy was acting so natural on this date thing, like they were just going out as best friends and not exactly lovers, that the thought hit him that maybe it was what he was supposed to be doing. Maybe he should be more like himself. Maybe he should put himself at ease, because he was with Lucy, and he was always comfortable when he was with her.

At the end of dinner, they finished every plated meal on their velvet-covered table, a part of his nervousness disappearing with the food.

* * *

After paying for the bill (with insistence from Lucy that they split it, no matter how hard he refused to let her pay), he practically burst out of the wooden restaurant doors with relief. Thank Mavis he was out of that place! It was beginning to feel stuffy inside and his suit was definitely _not_ helping in lowering the heat in his body.

Now that the dinner part was over (ugh, finally), next up on the 'Super Awesome and Super Memorable First Date!' list was—

"Natsu?" He heard behind him, followed by a surprised yelp.

Instinctively, he snapped his head to the direction of the voice, finding Lucy sitting on her ass on the cold, hard ground—

—because she was blindfolded. And he forgot that he was supposed to lead her.

"Oh, shit!" he exclaimed, rushing to her side and helping her up quickly, "Are you okay, Luce?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered as she pulled herself up, almost irritably (who wouldn't be after being blindfolded and left alone to _walk by herself?_), "Where are we going that requires me to cover my eyes anyway?"

"You'll see," he said, excitement at the edge of his voice, "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

As they walked slowly, taking one step at a time, Lucy mumbled, "This better not be a prank, Natsu."

He gaped at her, offended (even though she couldn't see the expression). "Why would I do something to ruin our first date?" He wanted to add _Mira and Erza and Levy would murder me for sure!_ but cut it off because it was better to end the sentence at where he did.

His mate didn't say anything in reply, but he swore he saw a small smile on her face as they walked.

**.**

**.**

**.**

His hands gripped her shoulders firmly as they climbed up the small, slightly steep, hill. At first, there was unease in her steps (because he could might as well have led her to somewhere that was part of his 'prank'), but now, all he could notice was how she was as enthusiastic as he was about this. And, he was almost fairly sure that she would like it.

He discovered this place one day, when he was wandering around the city at night with Happy. Somehow he winded up climbing the hill and walking towards the end of the path. It was a cliff side that presented a magnificent view of the stars at night. The sight took his breath away and the first thing he thought of was how he should bring Lucy there with him.

When he reached the cliff side, he giddily looked over Lucy's shoulders to the sight before them.

Instead of thousands of tiny, sparkling stars, though, all that welcomed him were thick clouds, dark and heavy and _not resembling shining stars one bit_.

The disappointment crashed down on him almost immediately. It was the one part of the date that he actually planned himself, for Lucy (because he knew she would like it), and it wasn't happening. The special first date was ruined.

"Are we there yet, Natsu?" Lucy's voice held so much excitement that it physically pained him knowing she would be just as disappointed as he was.

"Well," he sighed, "we're here."

"Can I take the blindfold off then?" She smiled at him (well, his general direction anyway) and he couldn't help the frown it brought on his face.

He nodded, then felt stupid after because she couldn't see the movement, so he said with an unbidden hint of moroseness, "Yeah, go ahead."

Her hands almost tore off the cloth from her eyes in a flash, her eyes adjusting to the sight before her. Her smile waned just a bit, and he saw how she forced it to grow wider. "Wow, Natsu," she said, faked amazement evident in her pitchy voice, "This is—this is beautiful."

He sighed again, disappointed _and_ guilty because Lucy was trying so hard to look impressed. "This wasn't what I wanted to show you," he said, "You can stop pretending, Luce."

Beside him, she let out a sigh, too. "What did you want to show me?"

A smile grew on his face just at the memory of the view. "There would be millions and millions of stars here, shining and sparkling and bright and just beautiful." He gestured his arms to the dark, cloudy sky for emphasis. "I thought you would really like it, so I wanted to show you tonight, but. . ." The disappointment was starting to come back, and he didn't like the feeling one bit.

Lucy's hand took his tenderly, and she gave it a comforting squeeze. "It's fine, Natsu," she said, giving him a bright smile that could rival the shining stars in his memory, "We could go here some other time."

He pouted. "But it wouldn't be our first date anymore."

Lucy's smile didn't change, seeming to grow wider. "It won't be," she said, "but I'm sure it'll be just as special."

* * *

Apparently, the world wasn't done yet with ruining his 'Super Awesome and Super Memorable First Date!' plan.

Right after Lucy reassured him with a smile that they would come back another day to see the stars, tiny droplets of water started falling down, quickly evolving into a full-blown rainstorm (screw those damn storm clouds).

Now, as they both ran, he felt his coat getting wet and being spotted with heavy droplets (dammit, Gray was going to kill him!). Slightly behind him, Lucy was cursing the rain because it messed up her hair and it made the ends of her dress muddy.

He had other activities planned after the stargazing, but they were all outdoors, rendering them impossible to be done anymore. And here he thought he could redeem himself and still save the date.

This was probably the worst thing to ever happen in a first date.

They took shelter under one of the roofs and resolved to wait until the rain stopped.

Silently, as Lucy fretted over her dress (which he briefly heard that she borrowed from Erza), he sulked at the fate of the well-planned first date with a disastrous end.

* * *

Devoid of all the previous excitement from the beginning of the evening, he dragged his foot inside Lucy's house, watching as she dried herself off with a towel. As he reached her couch, he dropped his butt on it with a plop (completely dry because of his heat), the cushion dipping under him. An unsatisfied, miserable aura enveloped him, his body resting tiredly on the couch. Oh, Mavis, he screwed up.

"I'm sorry, Luce," he said softly, almost like he didn't have any will left in him (might as well, because there was no way he could salvage this).

From behind the couch, Lucy walked around the furniture to sit on the spot beside him. There was a tender smile on her lips and he didn't understand because she was supposed to be disappointed at him, at this failure of a first date, just as much as he was with himself. "What are you apologizing for, Natsu?"

He looked at her with disbelief. "That must've been the worst date you've ever had."

She shook her head. "Not exactly," she said, chuckling, "but there was nothing to apologize about for it."

He remained silent, still unconvinced and upset with himself. A heavy sigh sounded throughout the silence of the house, and he felt a soft hand on each of his cheek, turning his face to his mate's. "Natsu, what you did for me tonight was more than enough," she said, looking straight into his eyes that he couldn't look away, "It was the best thing anyone has ever done for me." She smiled softly.

"I didn't do anything," he replied. Because there was no way he could accept that he did anything remotely enough for her. He didn't even reach her standards.

"Yes, you did." The firmness in her tone shut up any of his complaints immediately. "You put a lot of effort making sure this was the perfect first date for me. You wore formal wear, even though it makes you uncomfortable, on your own free will. You booked a reservation at a fancy restaurant you didn't even _want_ to be in. When you looked at a field of stars, you thought of showing it to _me_ because it was so beautiful." He felt himself panic because she looked like she was on the verge of crying.

After a moment of silence where they both left the words hang between them, she wrapped her arms around him tightly. "Natsu," she said his name so affectionately he almost burst, "even without the fancy dinners or the stargazing, as long as I'm with you, I don't care about where we go or how the first date goes." She pulled back and took his hands in hers, looking down on their intertwined fingers. "If it's with you, I know it'll be special."

And that was how their first date ended, her hair tangled and still wet, his clothes slightly sticking to him, their lips pressed together in a gentle kiss and the moon as their witness.

(And Mira. . .and Levy. . .and the whole guild. . .)

* * *

**notes:** Sneaky, sneaky guild.  
**notes2:** I hope this suffices the tears I brought to your eyes last one-shot (deep, deep words).  
**notes3:** KinKitsune01's drawing actually fits Igneel's description to a T! Go check it out: ritsukachoo. deviantart art /Igneel-Dragneel-Jr-NALU-son-348675491 (remove the spaces)  
**notes4:** Now, the big question: should I continue? I know I intended for this series to end after 25 one-shots, but I'm not closing the possibility of continuing it. The choice is up to you guys :)  
**notes5:** If you're worried about ideas, don't be. I have A LOT in the inspiration bank.  
**notes6:** So, should I or should I not? Put it in the review box down there :)


	26. Note

Okay, I can't even begin to imagine how disappointed you guys are to find that this isn't a chapter (and I know, I suck), and I don't want to add any more disappointment to that but I have to.

I found that, during the last few chapters of DDD, my inspiration and dedication had been decreasing with my speed. I guess it comes with having to post a chapter a week. And, after more than a month of break, I realized that I work _way_ better when I'm not tied to a drabble collection, like, just writing one-shots whenever I feel like it and posting them whenever. I know I had so many support from here and I appreciate that, but I'm sorry to say that continuing this series might be a bit bleak. I'm not saying that I'll stop writing, but I'll probably post them as a separate one-shot instead of here. I'm still going to post the continuation of experiment sometime, because I feel like I owe you guys at least that. And, I won't be gone from this fandom or anything! You'll be seeing more of me, I promise :)

Now, because all of you are wonderful people who stuck by me through the end, I'll give each of you guys a little gift, in return for all the support. Just hit me up with a request one-shot for a pairing (could be anything from this fandom, but of course, I write NaLu better) and a prompt, and I'll write it for you! Like, seriously, I would want a request from each one of you because I owe you guys so much (so it's like a thank you-sorry-see you later gift).

And, can we like all be friends? You guys are all so nice and I would want to talk to all of you and keep in touch (/*o*)/ - that was supposed to be a hug but it looks really creepy.

Well, since this is not goodbye, I'll say "see you later"! Because, really, we will (not literally, of course, because that's just creepy of me).

PS. OMG HAVE YOU GUYS READ THE LATEST CHAPTER? ASDFGHSFAJK YOU CAN CRY AND FANGIRL WITH ME


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